Defiance: The Odyssey of Ronald Bazemore

[Kumode]

Yes! Kobe! I was reading with suspense until the last part. Felt like a really great ending to an episode. Crazy how a fictional basketball story does stuff like that.

Can't wait for the 8 in the heat unis.

Sent from my SM-A310F using Operation Sports mobile app

[Jaiveer]

Loving the series picking Kobe up is gonna make this even more entertaining. Hopefully #8 isn't a big. Saying that cause I want Nash and Kobe lol

[trekfan]

1996 NBA Draft Recap
June 27th, 1996
By Helena Ramirez

The NBA draft started off with a bang. Two minutes before the opening of the draft, the NBA announced a number of trades:


Trade 1

Hornets get: Nick Van Exel, Vlade Divac
Lakers get: Muggsey Bouges, Alonzo Mourning

Analysis:

Sources indicate that, minutes before the draft, the agent for Kobe Bryant informed the Lakers that Bryant was going to be picked first overall for the Heat and would play there. This set off a chain of events that sent Jerry West to his backup plan — failing to woo Shaq, who agreed in principle to a new contract with the Magic earlier in the week, West traded for Mourning.

Mourning and his party were ecstatic to be joining LA, but the Lakers paid a heavy price for Mourning’s rights (he’s expected to reup with the Lakers for a lot of money) in giving up Van Excel and Divac, two young pieces of the Lakers who still have room to grow into even better players.

For the Hornets, the victory is in the assets received. Mourning didn’t want to be in Charlotte and the Hornets got a good return for a disgruntled superstar.


Trade 2

Hawks get: Rasheed Wallace
Wizards get: Stacey Augmon

Analysis:

Washington had a logjam at the PF position and unloading Wallace to the Hawks makes too much sense, as Atlanta was in desperate need of a reliable big to pair with Steve Smith. For the Wizards, Augmon represents a steadying defensive presence and someone who can score, when called upon; he’ll be a good fit for a squad who’ll need to replace the production of Juwan Howard, who has informed the Wizards that he isn’t coming back to Washington.



Trade 3

Nuggets get: Bryant Reeves (Grizzlies), Jamal Mashburn (Mavericks)
Grizzlies get: Jalen Rose (Nuggets)
Mavericks get: Laphonso Ellis (Nuggets)

Analysis:

This trade confirms what has been rumored for weeks: Dikembe Mutombo will not be returning to Denver. The Nuggets made a play for a big man, former 5th overall pick in the 1995 draft Bryant Reeves. Reeves, it is reported, came back from the lockout out of shape and the Grizzlies medical staff was worried he had done damage to himself during the long layoff. The Nuggets had no such concerns.

They traded Rose, a player who had never taken to Denver, for him. Denver further improved their roster by moving on from Laphonso Ellis and sending him to Dallas for scoring forward Jamal Mashburn. Mashburn, like Reeves, didn’t seem to come back from the lockout in the best of shape but Denver’s training staff is confident it won’t be a problem.

For the Grizzlies, getting Rose will help the team’s talent level overall — Reeves never got a chance to prove if he could bang with the best of the bigs in the conference, but the Grizzlies don’t have to worry about that now; they’ll invest in Rose and benefit from his unique skillset as a passer and scorer.

For the Mavericks, sending Mashburn away breaks up a duo with Jason Kidd that never quite worked as well as it supposed to; Ellis will represent a different beast for the Mavericks, as he’s a player equally capable of banging down low as he is of jacking up triples. That kind of spacing will do wonders for an already high-octane offense, and Ellis' defense — a huge upgrade over Mashburn — will hopefully allow Dallas to get out of the cellar.



With those trade done, the draft proceeded as follows:


1. Heat
SG/SF Kobe Bryant

It came down to the wire accordingly to multiple sources, but Bryant’s camp agreed to come to Miami. This represents history on a few fronts: firstly, Bryant becomes the first ever high school player to be chosen number one overall, a feat that may be repeated in future years. Secondly, he represents a huge investment for the Heat, who made this selection with so many other proven players on the board. Bryant’s selection signals that Coach Bazemore won’t be beholden to traditional NBA values, which in of itself is noteworthy. For the Heat, they have to hope Bryant is as good as advertised; they’ll be judged for this pick for a long time.

2. Wizards
SG/PG Allen Iverson

Miami made the life of the next team easier than anyone could have guessed; Washington, sporting a new name as the Wizards, took hometown hero Allen Iverson. Iverson will instantly slot in as a starter in either guard slot and Washington has its partner in crime for Chris Webber, who could use a new partner after Juwan Howard declared his intention to leave the Wizards. Iverson and Webber will likely be an electric pairing.

3. Raptors
C/PF Ben Wallace

The little known player from Virginia Union got a big boost to his draft stock during the combine and team interviews; considered a likely mid-1st round pick, Wallace showed during team workouts an almost unnatural ability to anticipate and predict where his opponents would be. His defensive skills have been described as “transcendent” and the Raptors couldn’t resist pairing him with newly acquired center Sharone Wright, who the 76ers straight up traded for cash considerations. Wright, known for his defense and scoring abilities, should form an intimidating front court duo with Wallace that — hopefully — will vault the Raptors into playoff contention.




Next up to pick was the T’Wolves, but before they made their pick they engaged in a trade with the newly formed Thunder.


Trade

T’Wolves get: 1997 1st round swap (T’Wolves get best of two picks), Fred Hoiberg

Thunder get: 1997 1st round swap (Thunder get worst of two picks), Isiah Rider

Analysis:

With the draft going as it was, the T’Wolves moved on from Rider, a player they loved talent wise but couldn’t stand otherwise, due to his constant off-court struggles. Minnesota, for their troubles, gets Fred Hoiberg and what is likely to be a higher pick than theirs next year. For the Thunder, they increased their talent base by a huge margin with the addition of Rider, a scorer who has no conscience and who will easily excite the crowd of OKC.


4. T’Wolves
SG Ray Allen

With Rider gone, the T’Wolves went and grabbed his replacement — shooting extraordinarie Ray Allen. Allen, from UCONN, should be a day-one starter for the Wolves, who — after a flurry of offseason moves — might just be a dark horse pick to make the playoffs and go far. Stacked with Tim Hardaway, Allen, and Kevin Garnett, these Wolves could make some noise if they can get through the old guard of the West.

5. Thunder
PG Steve Nash

OKC traded for Rider then immediately went out and got someone to get him the ball in Steve Nash. Nash, a superbly gifted passer, will make the lives of the rest of his teammates much easier. Nash also isn’t afraid to score if called upon and, for a franchise’s first pick, Nash makes sense; humble, talented, and unselfish, Nash’s public persona will likely endear him to the OKC crowd and make him a fan favorite from early on.

6. Grizzlies
SF Peja Stojackovic

The sweet-shooting forward from Serbia adds some more international flavor to the Grizzlies, but he also adds an extra layer of offense — something the Grizzlies could always use more of. With Vancouver still trying to build a fan following, drafting Stojakovic will only help their cause if Peja can bring them some wins. Expect him to compete for a starting spot from day one.

7. 76ers
C Zydrunas Illgauskas

Needing a new big man to man the middle, the 76ers took the player warmly referred to as “The Big Z” to join up with Derrick Coleman and Jerry Stackhouse. Illgauskas is a lankly center with enough moves to score and enough defense to stay on the floor. He brings a patented mid-range shot with him and should be a plus for the 76ers sooner rather than later.

8. Heat
PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim

With their second pick of the draft and their final one of the night, the Heat grabbed the ever-reliable Shareef Abdur-Rahim from Cal. Expected to be off the board by this point. Abdur-Rahim fell due to concerns over his defense and whether he was truly a guy you could build around. The Heat had no such concerns, as Abdur-Rahim’s fate isn’t to be the star, but to be the complimentary star — a role the affable, kind Rahim is well-suited to play. He comes into the league with one of the most polished low post skillsets in college and should nab a starting role ASAP.

9. Bucks
PG Stephon Marbury

The former high-school standout from Georgia Tech was picked by the Bucks here to be one thing: their starter of the future. Marbury joins a young core of talent featuring Glenn Robinson and Vin Baker, which should allow him to blossom on his own schedule. Marbury has a good mix of scoring and passing chops, but often gets locked into a scoring mindset — giving birth to the nickname “Starbury” when he has one of those games where he forgets he has teammates.

10. Pistons
C Jermaine O’Neal

Otis Thorpe is in 35 and not getting any younger; Detroit, with Grant Hill as their unquestionable star, needs someone to step in and replace Thorpe when he hangs his cleats up. That person is O’Neal; the second high school player selected in this draft, O’Neal will spend some time marinating on the bench as the Pistons try to make the playoffs this season. Thorpe, due to his age, is likely to see fewer minutes, meaning O’Neal will see some court time, but the young player won’t be expected to carry the team. Big men take time to develop — O’Neal is no different.

11. Kings
C Marcus Camby

Defensively the most accomplished big man of this draft, Camby was expected to go in the top-seven, but fell to the Kings here; Sacramento isn’t complaining. Camby’s defense is something the Kings sorely need — scoring is covered by Mitch Richmond. Camby will compete for the starting job, hoping to beat out old man Olden Polynice (38), the Kings starter in the 1994-95 season. Camby should win that battle and immediately become a contributor for a team that needs one of its bigs to play defense; Brian Grant certainly won’t.


12. Mavericks
SF/PF Antonie Walker

Dallas, with the recent trade of Jamal Mashburn, wanted to have a younger option developing behind presumptive starter George McCloud. That option is Walker. Walker is a bit of a tweener, with the size to play the four but the shooting stroke to play the three, and should provide Dallas with lineup flexibility. With Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson, and Laphonso Ellis headlining the show in Big D, all Walker has to do is keep his head down and listen.


13. Nets
PG Derek Fisher

Kenny Anderson will not be a New Jersey Net next year, according to his agent. In response, the Nets went out and found — potentially — a long term replacement for Anderson in Derick Fisher. Fisher won’t blow you away with measurables, nor will he impress you with his college resume — a four year starter at the University of Little Rock with plenty of school records and no tournament appearances — but you will be impressed by his maturity. Fisher is a smart, heady player who is an expert at making the right read and pass; he doesn’t look to score so much as he looks to get his teammates involved. He’s also known as a fairly clutch shooter in the late stages of games, if the ball finds its way back to him. He’s the opposite of Kenny Anderson in many ways and the Nets hope that difference will improve their team record … at some point.


14. Warriors
C Erick Dampier

The Warriors went out and traded for Kevin Willis, formerly of the Heat, but weren’t satisfied with just that; they went and grabbed Dampier to be his understudy. Dampier, fresh off a run to the Final Four with Mississippi State University, was seen as one of the most pro-ready prospects in this draft. A big man who’ll grab boards, score points, and play above average defense, Dampier falls this low simply because many scouts believe he’s near his ceiling — the upside of the prospect seems to have been reached. The Warriors are betting that’s not the case.


15 Celtics
PG/SG Jon Blake

Blake was a player the Celtics had had their eye on throughout the scouting process, someone they’re confident can swing between the one or the two. Blake comes in as the third-string point guard, but Boston expects David Wesley or Dana Barros to leave next season in free agency, so they’re grabbing their backup now. Blake isn’t expected to make a difference this year unless injuries strike.


16 Nuggets
C Clark Vincent

Denver made a curious pick here — despite trading for Bryant Reeves, former 5th overall pick from the 1995 draft, the Nuggets went and took another big man in Vincent. Vincent comes in as a vacuum on the boards, standing a solid 7’1” and weighing in at 280; virtually unmovable in the post, Vincent will bring some toughness off the bench, but his long-term projection is that of a rotation piece — something the Nuggets might need this season, but Vincent’s upside is questionable.


17 Hawks
C/PF Mark Daugherty

Atlanta continues to improve its front line, this time picking up Mark Daugherty — a 6’11”, 270 pound center out of Rutgers. Known for his fierce defense, Daugherty is a menace in the paint and isn’t one to back down from a confrontation while battling for position or boards. Adding the young Daugherty to the Hawks is an interesting move — many analysts project he has some of the best upside of the draft, if he can develop his offensive skills, which are — at best — woeful currently. Pairing him with Rasheed Wallace in the future is the Hawks ultimate plan.



18 Cavs
C Corie Barber

An effective screen setter and a better defender in space than in the paint, Barber is an odd duck for the Cavs. He’s a rebounder at heart and loves to battle for boards, but his size — 7’2”, 290 pounds — doesn’t give him an edge battling in the post, where Barber was routinely beaten by more skilled centers in his time at Nebraska. Operating out East with the likes of Patrick Ewing and Shaq, Barber is going to have to learn quickly in order not to get eaten alive in the paint, but the Cavs can afford to sit him for a year if needed. He’s expected to be a rotation piece, barring an injury to presumed starter Michael Cage.


19 Blazers
SF Eugene Little

Originally projected to be a lottery pick, Little falls all the way to the Blazers for one reason and one reason alone: poor defense. Little was never known as a defender in his time at Missouri, but one-on-one drills with multiple teams showed just how poorly his defensive skills were. Little routinely got beat by players many inches shorter than him and slower than him; it scared teams off. It doesn’t scare the Blazers, though. Little can sit and learn from some of the better defenders in today’s game, like Aaron McKie, and hopefully improve enough on that end where he can be played.



20 Rockets
SG Juan Ruiz (Mexico)

Clyde Drexler isn’t getting any younger. Clyde is widely expected to retire soon — in the next two seasons more than likely — and the Rockets picked up Juan Ruiz to fill that hole. Ruiz isn’t as graceful a scorer as Drexler, but what he lacks in offensive chops he makes up for with solid defense and a point guard’s eye. Ruiz might get some time this year off the bench if the Rockets feel comfortable enough to play him, but for now expect him to be taking notes from one of the greats.


21 Bulls
PG Fredrick McMillian

There are a lot of rumors coming out of Chicago right now — Bulls management is concerned with the salary demands of Jordan, Pippen, and coach Phil Jackson and rumor has it that Jerry Reinsdorf isn’t prepared to meet those demands, especially after Jordan and Pippen publicly ripped the owners over the course of the lockout. Reinsdorf is said to be holding firm — Jordan and Jackson aren’t budging, and Pippen’s camp is silent.

With this as the backdrop, enter Fredrick McMillian, the point guard the Bulls might need … but one who’s raw. High upside with superb passing skills, McMillian has trouble shooting the ball and playing consistent defense. The Bulls front office is convinced McMillian can learn those things, but this pick doesn’t help Chicago now and might not help them for a few years.


22 Lakers
PF/C Mario Balestrieri (Italy)

A developmental pick for the Lakers, Balestrieri will be sitting behind Magic Johnson (returning for another season) and veteran Kurt Rambis (who has also returned) for an all-new LA squad which features new Laker Alonzo Mourning. Balestrieri likely won’t see any playing time this year, barring a critical injury.


23 Hornets
C Clifton Jameson

Jameson joins a Hornets squad that just acquired Vlade Divac and Nick Van Excel, so don’t expect him to get much time this season. The hope for the Hornets front office is that Jameson — sitting behind Divac and veteran Robert Parish — will be able to compete for the backup position next season. For now, they want him to develop and learn from some of the best in the business.


24 Pacers
C Rod Bosh

Still unsure whether Reggie Miller will return to them (Miller is a free agent), the Pacers made a play for the future here, grabbing Bosh. Bosh is a low post savant, his scoring moves something the Pacers covet. You’d think the presence of Rick Smits would persuade the Pacers to spend this pick elsewhere, but Smits has shown himself to be less than durable in recent years; the time is now to prepare for life without him and, potentially, without Miler.


25 Knicks
SG Ernest Osborne

Rumors swirl around the league that the Knicks are going to be big players in free agency, but who they’re targeting remains a mystery. Is it Reggie Miller? Allan Houston? Someone else? This pick is simply a smart one — Osborne is a lights out shooter who should help Ewing, if he sees the floor, but it isn’t going to get the Knicks back to contender status. New York has to make a move during the summer blitz of free agency, but we won’t know what move till July 1st.


26 Magic
SG Terrell Hamlin

Shaq isn’t going anywhere for Orlando, agreeing to a new contract with the Magic (said contract can’t be signed till July 1st, but it’s pretty much a lock). With Shaq still aboard, the Magic went and bolstered the bench unit with the addition of Hamlin. Hamlin is a sharpshooter and a decent defender, so he should fit well with the Magic.


27. Sonics
SF/PF Wil Kemp

Consider this a “let’s please our star” pick as the SuperSonics took Wil Kemp, the cousin of star Shawn Kemp. The elder Kemp has been making a stink about his contract — a deal he can’t renegotiate till later next year thanks to the new CBA rules — and the Sonics went and soothed him, just a little, by taking family. Wil Kemp is a tweener player but has a decent amount of upside.



28. Suns
C Terrell Hardaway

Phoenix is trying to find someone, anyone, to slow down the likes of Hakeem and David Robinson, who are now division rivals with the Suns. Phoenix grabbed the best center left on the board in Hardaway, a 7’1” man who takes great pride in his strength, measuring as one of the strongest prospects in combine history this past summer. Hardaway might need that strength sooner than later as he competes with Herb and Hot Rod Williams for the starting center position. If Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson are going to get back to the Finals, they’ll have to find someone to slow down the bigs in their conference.


29 Jazz
SG Phillip Bellamy

Karl Malone is approaching his mid-30s and hasn’t made a single NBA Finals appearance. Despite this, the Mailman is a physical specimen the NBA has never seen before and the Jazz aren’t worried about him. Instead, they went and grabbed sharpshooter Phillip Bellamy as the eventual replacement for Jeff Hornacek. Hornacek has been incredibly durable during his career but, according to sources, he’s looking to leave Utah this summer for a chance at a title somewhere else; that in mind, the Jazz had no choice but to grab Bellamy here and hope the rookie can develop faster than expected.


30 Spurs
PF Ron Gilbert

6’8” and a svelte 223 pounds, Ron Gilbert from Illinois is a silky smooth post operator with concerns about his defense and rebounding. Gilbert is expected to learn from the bench his first year as the Spurs, and new coach Gregg Popovich (who fired former coach Bob Hill this offseason after the two could not agree on a team direction) will rely on veterans Craig Peterson and Will Perdue ahead of him. Poppovich is new to the NBA as a head coach and how he uses the Spurs players will be something to watch — just don’t expect him to use Gilbert anytime soon.


(Author's note: the 1990s draft classes aren't 100% accurate -- pretty much after the lottery its all 2K generated players, but I've edited them to mimic IRL NBA players as best I can. They might matter, they might not ... it's going to be fascinating to see what happens to them and the league looking back a few seasons from now.)

[Kumode]

Shareef is a strong pick. I checked his stats on bball reference, I think he is (was) a great starter-caliber player who can potentially evolve into something more if played right.

[Stout]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kumode

Shareef is a strong pick. I checked his stats on bball reference, I think he is (was) a great starter-caliber player who can potentially evolve into something more if played right.

Yeah, he was about an above average player who, unfortunately, was stuck on some pretty bad teams. On a team like this Heat squad, he's a nice pick on paper.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kumode

Shareef is a strong pick. I checked his stats on bball reference, I think he is (was) a great starter-caliber player who can potentially evolve into something more if played right.

Definitely. Stat-wise, Abdur-Rahim was a pretty solid player -- career averages of 18.1 PPG and 7.5 RPG in the regular season, and that's including three down years (the last two of those really down) with the Kings. He only ever made the playoffs once -- he generally was never on a good team.

Quote: Originally Posted by Stout

Yeah, he was about an above average player who, unfortunately, was stuck on some pretty bad teams. On a team like this Heat squad, he's a nice pick on paper.

I thought about going for Jermaine O'Neal (the idea of going for two straight of high-school players was appealing to me, but that felt a bit like too much youth), but I really see Abdur-Rahim as Pau Gasol to Kobe here; he's the guy you to get toss it into the post for some scoring, he'll grab you some boards, but don't expect him to demand the ball. My idea is to make him that number two that Kobe loved in Pau, but we'll see if that's what happens.

[studbucket]

Yeah, Shareef was never meant to be the man on those Vancouver teams, but as a second fiddle to Kobe? Perfect. That's his demeanor.

Do the Lakers have Eddie Jones? With him and Zo, that could be 2 1st team all-defense guys on the court. Muggsy may not be a long term option at point though.

The Wizards are going to be a really good team. Iverson, Augmon, and Webber is a nice, relatively young core. Do they still have Strickland, Muresan, and Cheaney as well?

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

Yeah, Shareef was never meant to be the man on those Vancouver teams, but as a second fiddle to Kobe? Perfect. That's his demeanor. Do the Lakers have Eddie Jones? With him and Zo, that could be 2 1st team all-defense guys on the court. Muggsy may not be a long term option at point though. The Wizards are going to be a really good team. Iverson, Augmon, and Webber is a nice, relatively young core. Do they still have Strickland, Muresan, and Cheaney as well?

Eddie Jones is indeed on the Lakers -- they didn't give up everything. They all still have Magic Johnson at PF, so between the three of them (and the underrated Cedric Ceballos), the Lakers offense will be mighty potent. Bogues is definitely not a long term answer at point, but we'll see if the Lakers can make any moves in FA to bolster things.

As for the Wizards, they don't have Strickland -- IRL, he came over when they traded Rasheed to the Blazers, but that's not happening here so Strickland is still with Portland. They do have Cheaney and Muresan, however, so they're in good shape to be contenders. The Southeast division is gonna be hellishly tough this season I think.