Because teams like to posture, misdirect and outright lie when
fielding queries about their plans for the draft, the final 48
hours before the selection process begins are usually cluttered
with disinformation. This year was no different. As the June 24
draft approached, general managers insisted that Kansas forward
Raef LaFrentz was too slow, North Carolina power forward Antawn
Jamison was too short and St. Louis shooting guard Larry Hughes
was too young (19) and too skinny (185 pounds). Amid all that
poor-mouthing, nobody identified Kansas small forward Paul
Pierce as a player who was slipping. In fact, in four teams'
mock drafts that were made available to SI, Pierce was projected
to go second in two of them and third in the others.
Some teams deemed Pierce soft, but his feel for the
game was never doubted.
(David E. Klutho)
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But Pierce had to wait until the Celtics took him with the 10th
pick to escape the dreaded green room, the angst-ridden holding
tank for potential top picks at the draft site, in this case
General Motors Place in Vancouver. As the names of Michael
Olowokandi (taken first), Mike Bibby (second), LaFrentz (third),
Jamison (fourth) and even Hughes (eighth) were called, the 6'7"
Pierce sat stone-faced, struggling to fathom the turn of events.
Boston coach Rick Pitino had been so sure he would have no shot
at selecting Pierce that he had neither worked him out nor
called Kansas coach Roy Williams to inquire about him. "I'm in a
state of shock right now," Pitino said minutes after making the
pick.
Almost immediately after Pierce began dropping, rumors spread
around the league that he had poor training habits and that his
postseason workouts had been lackluster. (Nuggets general
manager Dan Issel had called him a terrific scorer who "might be
a little soft" shortly before the draft.) Yet Pierce fell mainly
because 1) he had told the Raptors, choosing No. 4, and the
Kings, picking No. 7, that he didn't want to play for them, and
2) he didn't fit the needs of the other teams with choices high
in the order.
The Sixers, selecting eighth, already had Tim Thomas at small
forward and needed backcourt help. The Bucks, at No. 9, had a
deal with the Mavericks to take 20-year-old German star Dirk
Nowitzki, and then trade him and Notre Dame forward Pat Garrity,
the 19th pick, for Michigan power forward Robert Traylor, whom
Dallas had chosen at No. 6. The Warriors nearly selected Pierce
fifth, but ended up drafting North Carolina swingman Vince
Carter so they could swap him to the Raptors for Toronto's
pick—Jamison—and cash.
"That talk about Pierce is baloney," says Golden State general
manager Garry St. Jean. "He had a great workout with us. He
might have more ability to score than any other rookie because
he can drift and shoot, can come off the screen, can break you
down off the dribble and can go down to the box and score."
Then why didn't the Warriors take him? "In the end," St. Jean
says, "we thought Jamison was a special guy."
So Pierce wound up as a tantalizing consolation prize for
Pitino, who had coveted Nowitzki. The 6'11" forward handles the
ball like a shooting guard and had impressed Pitino during a
secret workout the coach set up in Rome in early June. Few doubt
Nowitzki will inject life into the Mavericks—if he suits up for
them next season.
For the Mavs, his presence next season is key
in more ways than one: After acquiring Garrity, they dealt him,
forward Martin Muursepp, guard Bubba Wells and their first-round
pick next June to the Suns for Steve Nash, one of the most
sought-after young point guards in the league. Without Nowitzki
in the lineup, that 1998 pick could be a high lottery selection.
Issue date: July 6, 1998
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