October 29, 2001
The Lottery:
1. Washington Wizards, F-C, Kwame Brown
2. Chicago Bulls, F-C, Tyson Chandler
3. Memphis Grizzlies, F-C Pau Gasol
4. Chicago Bulls, F-C, Eddy Curry
5. Golden State Warriors, SG, Jason Richardson
6. Memphis Grizzlies, G-F, Shane Battier
7. Houston Rockets, G-F, Eddie Griffin
8. Cleveland Cavaliers, C, DeSagana Diop
9. Detroit Pistons, F, Rodney White
10. Boston Celtics, G, Joe Johnson
11. Boston Celtics, G-F, Kedrick Brown
12. Seattle Supersonics, G-F, Vladimir Radmanovic*
13. New Jersey Nets, G Richard Jefferson
Add Russian-born F-C Andrei Kirilenko of Utah and Portland big man Zach Randolph, and one of these names is likely to reside on the 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year trophy.
It should be noted that each new recruit will have to do without the NBA's rookie orientation program, which was cancelled due to the tragedy that undertook our nation on September 11. This year of all years, the orientation program would have been essential, as the forefront of this year's crop is an assortment of high school kids, chic college defectors, and overseas standouts.
Despite not having the traditional preparation, which mainly addresses potential rookie difficulties of NBA life, this group of young men will wait for their numbers to be called tonight and get their first taste of real NBA action.
Each player will try to fit into different roles, but distinct from past drafts, no player is projected to play the lead role. The 2001 draftees consist of no Allen Iverson, no Tim Duncan, and no Shaquille O'Neal. There are no clear-cut dominant players; players who were stars before they even played their first NBA game.
In no particular order, below are some bits of information on the key players in the NBA's latest rookie crop.
Kwame Brown: the overall number 1 pick of 2001 might be the favorite of many, but he will have to share the spotlight with Michael Jordan. The media circus that follows Jordan will bring much attention to the Wizards and could ultimately help Brown's cause; but Jordan's presence should curb Brown's shot attempts to something considerably less then imagined on draft day. Nevertheless, if the Wizards are successful this season -- and that's a big 'if' -- a contributing Kwame should be near the forefront of talk of top rookie.
Shane Battier: If there ever was a favorite to win top rookie, it is likely ex-Duke star and all around good guy Shane Battier. His story is one of an NCAA champion and model citizen who somehow, someway, was penalized on draft night for staying in school. Despite the NBA message of "stay in school", team after team passed on Battier while drafting high schoolers, early entry candidates and foreigners. It's safe to say, that was not the message the NBA wanted to send to America's youth, particularly with its basketball fundamentals eroding largely due to a growing juvenile star base.
Pau Gasol: Joining Battier on the new Memphis Grizzlies team is the 3rd overall selection, Spain's Pau Gasol. Both Gasol and Battier should play an integral role with this young team, as both are being asked to contribute immediately. The addition of ex-Sacramento Kings guard Jason Williams will certainly increase the team's exposure and ultimately help both their chances of being top rookies.
Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler: Chicago fans hope their new "Towering Tandem" of 6-11 Chicago native Eddy Curry and the 7-1 Compton native Tyson Chandler will eventually prove to be as, or more effective then the present version in San Antonio. Chandler and Curry's rookie season surely won't be anything close to Duncan's first year in the league, and neither Curry nor Chandler put up particularly gaudy numbers over the summer. The struggles of Chandler, the second overall pick in the draft, have been the most glaring.
Joe Johnson, Kedrick Brown: The Boston duo of Joe Johnson and Kedrick Brown, picks 10 and 11 respectively, should produce dividends for the Celtics sometime in the future. In Boston, Kedrick Brown has been officially nominated the player who'll most frequent ESPN's Sportcenter out of the rookie class. Sportcenter has its value, but the 2 main guns on the team remain Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. Johnson is said to be an effective scorer and will serve should serve, along with Brown as marquee reserves.
Eddie Griffin: Griffin slipped a few selections before being drafted 7th by New Jersey and traded to Houston, and will play behind Glen Rice. Griffin's summer was solid, but did not come without some rumblings of disappointment from the Houston camp. The injury to Maurice Taylor should free up some minutes for Griffin, but Griffin is not a power forward by NBA standards. If you ask the New York Knicks, neither is Glen Rice.
Richard Jefferson: Jefferson, one of three players traded for Griffin, was a standout shooting guard at Arizona. He is likely to play behind shooting guard Kerry Kittles of New Jersey. Jefferson showed some flashes during the summer league, and will be on a new Nets team that now features Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin and Keith Van Horn. They also added free-agent center Todd MacCalloch, who will start in the middle. Jefferson is expected to get minutes, but probably won't be too high on the Nets food chain, at least not initially.
Rodney White: goes to meager Detroit Pistons teams who have added Cliff Robinson (formally of Phoenix) to compliment Jerry Stackhouse and company. Despite the acquisition of Robinson, White should receive favorable minutes being the team is young and isn't expected to make the playoffs. The Pistons, like the Sonics, also have a new Yugoslavian tandem of Zeljko Rebraca and Ratko Varda. Both have been pleasant surprises for the Pistons and both are expected to earn time.
DeSangana Diop: the player many wanted to end up in Seattle but ended up in Cleveland probably won't contribute anything significant on the offensive end right away. The Cavs acknowledge Diop is a project, and will largely be utilized as a massive body in the middle. The hope is that Diop can eventually be a poor man's version of Shaquille O'Neal, but the last player to have that moniker was a massive disappointment (Yinka Dare).
Vladimir Radmanovic: the pick that the Sonics did take, the Yugoslav standout, who, along with Gasol, is one of the notable Europeans that promise to be the next imported jewels. The Sonics are currently experiencing a handful of injuries that will give Radmanovic looks early on. There is a chance Radmanovic will end up in the starting lineup opening night, given the injuries to Vin Baker and rookie Predrag Drobnjak. If that materializes, the stint would be a temporary one. Needless to say, a solid performance from a starting Radmanovic, even part time, is only going to help his cause once the Sonic rotation gets back to normal. Coming off two solid performances to close the preseason, Radmanovic could make a strong case to be along the front lines if McMillan opts for a lineup change, or if an injury sidelines Baker or Lewis for extended periods.
There are no overwhelming favorites to win the famed rookie award. Choosing its winner is as unpredictable as the infamous night they were drafted.
The 2001 ROY could feasibly go to names like Andrei Kirilenko or Predrag Drobjnak, talented players who, despite being rookies, were drafted years ago.
All opinions expressed in this column are solely the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of other columnists or staff of Sonicscentral.com