CLIPPERS OWN TWO SLOTS IN LOTTERY
The Los Angeles Clippers hold the eighth and 12th picks in NBA Draft 2002. This year marks the first time since the 1988 draft that the Clippers have owned two lottery selections. That season, the Clippers picked first and sixth. The Clippers also selected two lottery picks (fourth and 13th) in 1987. Those two drafts, (1987 & 1988) either directly or through trades, netted them Ken Norman, Ron Harper, Loy Vaught, Danny Manning, Gary Grant and Charles Smith, who went on to form the core of the Clippers’ playoff teams in 1992 and 1993.
  • Clippers 2002 Draft Workout Schedule

    HOW’D THEY GET TWO?
    The Clippers earned the 12th pick in this year’s draft by way of their 39-43 finish in the regular season. The eighth pick was originally owned by Atlanta, but the Hawks owed the Clippers another first round draft choice from the Lorenzen Wright trade back on August 8, 1999. The Hawks would have kept the pick had they finished in the lottery’s top four slots. The other first-round pick the Hawks owed the Clippers was delivered two summers ago. With that pick, the Clips tabbed Quentin Richardson with the 18th selection in NBA Draft 2000.

    WHAT ABOUT THE SECOND ROUND?
    Jaric
    The Clippers also have a second-round pick (41st overall) in this year’s draft. It’s the first time in two seasons that the Clippers have a second-round pick. Last season, they traded their second round pick (37th overall) to Philadelphia the day before the draft. The last time the Clippers owned a second round pick, they selected Marko Jaric with the first pick (30th overall) of the second round in NBA Draft 2000. Jaric, a 6’7” point guard, has spent the last few years playing in Europe, including last season, when he led his club (Kinder Bologna of the Italian League) to the Euroleague Championship Game. The last time a player selected by the Clippers in the second round played for the club that same season was in 1991, when Elliot Perry (37th overall) made the 1991-92 opening night roster.

    CLIPPERS LOADED WITH TOP PICKS
    Both the first and second rounds of NBA Draft 2002 will be carried live by TNT Sports from 4:30 p.m. (PDT) through its conclusion. The NBA Draft will also be broadcast nationally over ESPN Radio.
    The Clippers are one of three teams that have two former number one picks on their roster: Michael Olowokandi, who was the top pick in 1998, and Elton Brand, who was selected by the Bulls in 1999 and acquired by the Clippers last summer. Philadelphia has Allen Iverson (1996) and Derrick Coleman (1990, selected by New Jersey) on its roster and San Antonio has former top selections Tim Duncan (1997) and David Robinson (1987). The Clippers and the Spurs are the only two teams in the NBA who have four players on their roster who were selected in the draft’s top four spots. In addition to Olowokandi and Brand, the Clippers have a former number-three pick (Darius Miles, 2000) and a number-four pick (Lamar Odom, 1999). San Antonio has Duncan, Robinson, Danny Ferry (selected second by the Clippers in 1989) and Antonio Daniels (picked fourth by Vancouver in 1997). The Clippers’ group is dramatically younger, combining for 12 NBA seasons while the Spurs group has played a collective 35 years in the NBA.

    A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LAST TEN NUMBER EIGHT PICKS

    YR NAME ROOKIE AVGS 2001-02 AVGS DRAFTED BY CURRENT TEAM
    2001 DeSagana Diop 1.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg 1.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg Cleveland Cleveland
    2000 Jamal Crawford 4.6 ppg, 2.3 apg 9.3 ppg, 2.4 apg Chicago Chicago
    1999 Andre Miller 11.1 ppg, 5.8 apg 16.5 ppg, 10.9 apg Cleveland Cleveland
    1998 Larry Hughes 9.1 ppg, 1.5 apg 12.3 ppg, 4.3 apg Philadelphia Golden State
    1997 Adonal Foyle 3.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg 4.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg Golden State Golden State
    1996 Kerry Kittles 16.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg 13.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg New Jersey New Jersey
    1995 Shawn Respert 4.9 ppg, 1.1 apg None Portland Out of the NBA
    1994 Brian Grant 13.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg 9.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg Sacramento Miami
    1993 Vin Baker 13.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg 14.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg Milwaukee Seattle
    1992 Todd Day 13.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg None Milwaukee Out of the NBA



    A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LAST TEN NUMBER TWELVE PICKS

    YR NAME ROOKIE AVGS 2001-02 AVGS DRAFTED BY CURRENT TEAM
    2001 Vladimir Radmanovic 6.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg 6.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg Seattle Seattle
    2000 Etan Thomas DNP - Injured 4.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg Dallas Washington
    1999 Aleksandar Radojevic 2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg None Toronto Out of the NBA
    1998 Michael Doleac 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg 4.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg Orlando Cleveland
    1997 Austin Croshere 2.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg 6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg Indiana Indiana
    1996 Vitaly Potapenko 5.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg 4.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg Cleveland Boston
    1995 Cherokee Parks 3.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg 1.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg Dallas San Antonio
    1994 Khalid Reeves 9.2 ppg, 4.3 apg None Miami Out of the NBA
    1993 George Lynch 9.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg 3.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg L.A. Lakers Charlotte
    1992 Harold Miner 10.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg None Miami Out of the NBA



    BAYLOR THE ONLY TOP PICK MAKING PICKS
    Clippers’ Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor was the first pick in the 1958 NBA Draft by the Minneapolis Lakers. Baylor is the only former top pick currently in charge of an NBA team’s basketball operations. Only two former top selections are currently NBA head coaches. Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Lucas was the first pick in the 1976 NBA Draft (Houston) and Washington Wizards head coach Doug Collins was the top pick in the 1973 NBA Draft (Philadelphia).

    UNDERCLASSMEN ABOUND
    Last season the Clippers selected Tyson Chandler, a high school player, with the second pick in the draft and then dealt him to Chicago. Last year’s draft stayed with the recent Clippers’ draft trend and the recent league-wide trend that has seen underclassmen selected with 40 of the last 50 top ten picks (1997-2001). Including the 1994 NBA Draft, eight of the Clippers’ last 11 first round selections have been underclassmen. In NBA Draft 2000, the Clips grabbed high school star Darius Miles with the third pick and then selected DePaul sophomore Quentin Richardson with the 18th pick. The Clippers picked Lamar Odom with the fourth pick in the 1999 draft after Odom played one season at Rhode Island. The Clippers tabbed Maurice Taylor, who left Michigan after his junior season, with the 14th pick in the 1997 draft. Lorenzen Wright left Memphis after his sophomore year and was drafted seventh by the Clippers in the 1996 draft. Antonio McDyess ended his Alabama career after his sophomore season and was taken by the Clippers with the second pick in the 1995 draft, but was subsequently traded to Denver soon after the draft. The Clippers drafted swingman Lamond Murray with the seventh pick of the 1994 draft after he left California following his junior season. The 1998 NBA Draft was the rare senior-laden exception for the Clippers. They chose Pacific senior center Michael Olowokandi with the first pick and then grabbed Baylor senior forward Brian Skinner with the 22nd pick in the first round. The Clippers also selected Louisville senior Greg Minor with the 25th pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, but dealt him to Indiana later in the evening.

    A CLIPPERS VACANCY ON THE ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS
    This season, for the first time since the 1996-97 campaign, a Clipper did not appear on the NBA All-Rookie First or Second Team. Darius Miles was a first-team selection last year and in the process, became the first player in NBA history to transition from high school basketball to the NBA All-Rookie First Team the following season. Other recent Clippers All-Rookie selections include Lamar Odom (1999-00, First Team), Michael Olowokandi (1998-99, Second Team) and Maurice Taylor (1997-98, Second Team). In all, twelve players in franchise history have been named to either the All-Rookie First or Second Teams. The following players are past first-team selections: Charles Smith (1988-89), Terry Cummings (1982-83), Adrian Dantley (1976-77), John Shumate (1975-76), Ernie DiGregorio (1973-74), Bob McAdoo (1972-73) and Elmore Smith (1971-72). Brent Barry (1995-96) is a former second-team selection.

    THE YOUNG AND THE ROOKIE-LESS
    In addition to having one of the youngest teams in the league, the Clippers didn't have a single rookie on their roster this season until they signed Tremaine Fowlkes to a 10-day contract on February 23. The last time the Clippers played an entire season without dressing one rookie was during the 1983-84 campaign, which was the team's final season in San Diego. The team's top draft choice in 1983 was Arizona State guard Byron Scott, who was sent to the Lakers in a multi-player deal prior to the start of the season. The Clippers' principal acquisition in the deal was Norm Nixon, who went on to play six seasons with the Clips and hand out over 2,500 assists.

    SCHOOL’S OUT
    Miles
    In the history of the NBA Draft, twenty players have been selected straight out of high school. The Clippers are one of three teams to select two high school players. Last season, they chose Tyson Chandler, a forward from Compton’s Dominguez High School, with the second pick and then traded him to Chicago for Elton Brand later in the evening. With the third pick in NBA Draft 2000, the Clippers tabbed Darius Miles, a forward from East St. Louis, Ill. Miles went on to become the first player in NBA history to go from high school basketball to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in one season. Seattle and Toronto are the other two NBA teams that have drafted two high school players. The Sonics picked Shawn Kemp in 1989 and Rashard Lewis in 1998. The Raptors grabbed Tracy McGrady in 1996 and Jonathan Bender in 1999. Like Tyson Chandler, Bender was traded following draft day and debuted with a team that didn’t select him.

    DRAFT DAY TRADE DEADLINE
    The trade deadline for trading 2002 draft picks is 11:00 a.m. (PDT) on the day of the draft (Wednesday, June 26). Once the draft begins, teams will be permitted to trade draft rights of players they have selected. No trade may be consummated or announced prior to a conference call between the teams involved and the NBA office.