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By ROGER MILLS, JAMAL THALJI, Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 28, 2001
Hill: size, mind key for prep draftees
ORLANDO -- Kwame Brown. Tyson Chandler. Eddy Curry. DeSagana Diop.
All were drafted straight out of high school and into the NBA Wednesday. Could the Magic's Grant Hill have done the same thing coming out of South Lake High in Reston, Va.?
"Of course," Hill joked.
But in all seriousness, Hill said making the jump from high school to the pros is one he can't even contemplate making back when he was a prep star.
In fact, Hill wasn't even sure he could cut it at Duke.
"Two weeks before rookie orientation I called Tommy Amaker, the assistant coach, and I told him, 'I don't think I'm ready to play basketball at this level,' " Hill said. "I was ready to transfer to George Mason."
So what makes these high school players so different from Hill, who became a perennial NBA All-Star at Detroit before signing with Orlando last year?
"I think that the mind-set these kids have now is a lot different than when I came out," Hill said. "We were thinking about college, and (Atlantic Coast Conference) meetings and so forth. These kids, going back to the eighth and ninth grade, they were thinking about the NBA. Plus, these guys are a lot bigger than we were, I know that.
"We'll see how it all pans out."
WITH THE 15TH PICK: Orlando's selection of DePaul's Steven Hunter fills the franchise's need for a shot-blocking, rebounding defender. But finding a starter with the 15th pick has proved daunting the past few seasons. Of the past six No. 15 picks, just one is starting: Steve Nash, drafted by Phoenix and now with Dallas.
The other No. 15 picks since 1994: Eric Piatkowski to Indiana in '94; Brent Barry to Denver in '95; Kelvin Cato to Dallas in '97; Matt Harpring to Orlando in '98; Ferderic Weis to New York in '99; and Jason Collier to Milwaukee in '00.
DEBT RELIEF: Orlando selected guard Omar Cook, a freshman at St. John's, with its second-round pick, 32nd overall, and traded his draft rights to Denver to fulfill a previous obligation.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Trail Blazers introduced Maurice Cheeks as their new coach, confirming what was accidentally revealed earlier.
Various media outlets reported that Cheeks, an assistant with Philadelphia the past seven seasons, would be named as the successor to Mike Dunleavy.
The Blazers would not confirm the hire. But Zach Randolph, a freshman forward from Michigan State selected at No. 19, inadvertently let it slip.
Asked who he had talked to in the organization after he was selected, Randolph said general manager Bob Whitsitt and "Coach Cheeks."
To the laughter of reporters talking to Randolph on speaker phone, media relations director Sue Carpenter gently admonished Randolph. "I'm sorry!" Randolph said.
HAWKS-GRIZZLIES TRADE: Shareef Abdur-Rahim is coming home. Atlanta got him from Vancouver for the No. 3 selection, 7-footer Pau Gasol of F.C. Barcelona in Spain.
The Hawks also gave up forward-center Lorenzen Wright and point guard Brevin Knight, though the trade won't be formally completed until July 18 because of complicated NBA cap rules governing base salaries.
The trade represents a homecoming for Abdur-Rahim, born and raised in suburban Marietta, Ga. He starred at Wheeler High and kept his home in Atlanta even while playing for the Grizzlies.
NETS-ROCKETS TRADE: Houston traded the three players it chose in the first round for the rights to Seton Hall forward Eddie Griffin, New Jersey's first round pick, who was taken seventh.
The Rockets got Griffin for Richard Jefferson of Arizona (drafted No. 13), Jason Collins of Stanford (No. 18) and Brandon Armstrong (No. 23).
"I talked with Steve (Francis) and Cuttino (Mobley) and they're very excited," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said.
HEAT: The team is suing its local television broadcaster to keep its new owners from switching to a Spanish language format. The team said it would suffer "irreparable injury" even if WAMI continues to broadcast games in English. Univision bought the station June 12 and has said it will go to an all-Spanish format early next year, though it will continue to broadcast Heat and Florida Marlins baseball games in English.
JAZZ: Forward Danny Manning plans to become a free agent but said he hopes to stay with Utah.
OBITUARY: George Senesky, who played on the league's first championship team, the 1947 Philadelphia Warriors, and coached the team to the '56 title, died at 78.