June 27
I've been screaming all along that the NBA draft is about POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL! It is now a developmental draft, just like Major League Baseball.

In the first round of the 2001 NBA draft, 24 of the 28 players selected were underclassmen. That's right, only four seniors went in the first round -- Shane Battier, Brendan Haywood, Jeryl Sasser and Jamaal Tinsley.

	Will Kwame Brown live up to the hype?

There are question marks galore. How many of these kids are ready to play? How many will get instant PT? Will they put up stats in a losing situation and grow for the future? How will they handle the pressure?

This wasn't a conventional draft. Think about it -- the top four picks never stepped on the collegiate hardwood for a single game. In years gone by, it would have been hard to imagine that.

Washington did the expected by taking Kwame Brown No. 1. He's versatile, providing an inside presence to go with a strong mindset. Eventually, he can develop into a big-time player. Again, it's all about that P word -- POTENTIAL!

Players who go in the first round get guaranteed contracts ranging from approximately $1.5 to 10 million. The second round had a lot of talent left over; I wonder what Omar Cook, Gilbert Arenas, Trenton Hassell, Michael Wright and Kenny Satterfield felt when they didn't hear their names called in the first round. They all gave up eligibility for a shot at the first round.

Now, they'll have to fight for their basketball lives without a guaranteed contract. Will they become hoop vagabonds, battling to make an NBA roster or going overseas to play internationally? They could end up in the minor leagues if things don't pan out.

Then there is Loren Woods. He came on strong at the end of his senior season, but there were questions about his physical and emotional status. Those questions hurt his stock, as he didn't hear his name called until pick No. 46, to Minnesota.

WINNERS AND LOSERS
Sometimes it takes years to truly evaluate the successes and failures of a draft. Here are my first impressions of some winners and question marks from Wednesday night:

I give Vancouver/Memphis an A+. Yes, they did trade a star in Shareef Abdur-Rahim, but look at what the franchise added. Getting Lorenzen Wright from the Hawks is a big plus as he returns home to Memphis, where he starred in college. The addition of Brevin Knight in the Abdur-Rahim deal provides a quick penetrator and a quality guy on and off the court.

Then the Grizzlies added Pau Gasol, who was brilliant in Spain. The big man has a world of potential and is compared to Dirk Nowitzki by some experts. I was impressed by the selection of Battier, who will have the greatest immediate impact of any first-rounder in this draft.

Teams that passed on Battier will be haunted by their decision. He has the intangibles that any coach would dream of. There is no doubt Battier is a winner, as Duke cut down the nets in Minneapolis earlier this year. The team also added Will Solomon from Clemson early in the second round. He can handle the rock and has a scorer's mentality that will help him at the next level.

The Celtics had to be ecstatic to get all-everything player Joe Johnson out of Arkansas. Joining Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker, Johnson has great size and perimeter skills.

Boston had to be thrilled with Joseph Forte later in the first round. Some may have been surprised Forte didn't go among the first 20. His ability to score from outside will give the Celtics a big boost. Boston also picked 6-foot-7 juco wiz Kedrick Brown, a player with tremendous upside.

What about the Clippers? They added a proven 20/10 player in Elton Brand in a deal with the Bulls. Brand is a solid citizen who will fit in nicely. He should provide valuable help to the young stars assembled. That should make Alvin Gentry very happy.

I also liked what Golden State and Orlando accomplished. The Warriors added a talented baseline player in Jason Richardson, a versatile front-court performer in Troy Murphy and guard Gilbert Arenas. With Larry Hughes expected to see some time at the point, plus Antawn Jamison, Marc Jackson and hopefully a healthy Danny Fortson, coach Dave Cowens has more talent to work with.

The Magic picked up Steven Hunter, the rights to Brendan Haywood (in a deal for Michael Doleac) and Sasser. Orlando also added a future first-round pick, trading the rights to Cook to Denver.

I give the Bulls an incomplete grade. One can't tell how the two high school stars, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, will turn out. They certainly bring Chicago great size, but how long will it take them to become major NBA factors? Jerry Krause made a big-time gamble in dealing Brand.

New Jersey has to be considered a question mark. The Nets dealt the rights to Eddie Griffin for three picks -- Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong. Jefferson will help on the defensive end. Collins provides size inside while Armstrong is a solid long-range shooter. Will this trio end up as journeymen? I did like the choice of Brian Scalabrine of USC in the second round.

There were a number of good college players who didn't hear their names called at all. Now they will have to try to hook on as free agents. As I said, it is all about that one P word -- POTENTIAL, baby!