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Olowokandi shoots to the topBy ROGER MILLS © St. Petersburg Times, published June 25, 1998 So, although the NBA's perennial cellar dwellers were expected by many to take Arizona point guard Mike Bibby, the Clippers made Nigerian-born center Michael Olowokandi the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft. Surprising? Perhaps. Sensible? Potentially. Olowokandi, nicknamed "Kandi Man," has been playing basketball for only three years. But at 7 feet 1 and 265 pounds with great footwork, substantial shot-blocking ability and a tireless work ethic, Olowokandi had too much potential for the Clippers to ignore. He joined Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon as the second No. 1 pick born in Lagos. "Seeing my name in the No. 1 spot is unbelievable, especially when you consider where I came from three years ago -- not having played basketball -- and then to this, not the No. 3 pick but the No. 1 pick ," Olowokandi said. "That's something that would take me a week or so, or a little bit longer to get over." Still, for a team that desperately needed a point guard as well as a center, the decision not to go with Bibby was a hard one. "It was a tough decision," Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said. "When you look at Bibby, you know he's going to be a very fine point guard in this league." Olowokandi averaged 22.2 points as a senior and blocked 160 shots in 77 games during his career at the University of the Pacific. "The most important thing is that this guy can indeed block shots and rebound, and those are the things particularly difficult to find," said Georgetown coach John Thompson, who coached NBA All-Star centers Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo, three of the best in the game. "I think he has improved himself tremendously." Vancouver took Bibby with the second pick, despite picking point guard Antonio Daniels fourth overall last year. Bibby is the highest pick ever from Arizona. "I'm happy to be the No. 2 pick," said Bibby, who led the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship as a freshman two years ago. "It's been a dream of mine for a long time, and I'm just relieved that it's over now and that someone has drafted me." Fellow All-American Raef LaFrentz was the third pick, going to the Denver Nuggets. North Carolina's Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter then went to the Raptors and Warriors, respectively. The teams immediately swapped the players. No draft would be without its share of surprises, and the first came with Dallas' selection of Michigan power forward Robert Traylor with the sixth pick. Traylor is a versatile big man whose biggest barrier was his weight. Listed at 6-8, 300, Traylor apparently dropped to 280 for his workouts with teams, and it was enough to impress the Mavericks. "In college you only play a 30-game season, but in the NBA you have to play 82 games," Traylor said. "If you want to step up to the next level you have to put in the dedication and hard work." After the Kings took controversial former Florida point guard Jason Williams at No. 7 and Philadelphia made Saint Louis' Larry Hughes the eighth pick, the Milwaukee Bucks took 19-year-old German sensation Dirk Nowitzki. The 6-11, 237-pounder was outstanding in pre-draft camps and workouts and proved irresistible despite reports that he might play the next two years in Europe. But Nowitzki's stay with the Bucks was brief. He was traded, with Pat Garrity (the 19th pick), to Dallas for Traylor. Garrity then was sent to Phoenix for Steve Nash. Perhaps the most stunning development was the fall of Kansas All-America swingman Paul Pierce. Considered by many a top-three pick, Pierce fell to the Boston Celtics in the 10th spot. Two teams had six first-round picks between them. The Magic took Utah center Michael Doleac, UNLV forward Keon Clark and Georgia Tech forward Matt Harpring with the 12th, 13th and 15th picks. Houston took Arizona guard/forward Michael Dickerson (14th), Valparaiso point guard Bryce Drew (16th) and Turkish power forward Mirsad Turkcan (18th). Despite the trend toward drafting high school players, St. Patrick's (N.J.) forward Al Harrington (6-9, 230) was the only prep star drafted in the first round. "To say the least, it's sad," Magic general manager John Gabriel said.
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RLANDO -- The Los Angeles Clippers have made mistakes in the NBA draft before. Remember Reggie Williams? Bo Kimble? Benoit Benjamin and LeRon Ellis?
