NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Clippers today attained some of the glamour of their crosstown rivals, formally selecting Kansas star Danny Manning as the No. 1 choice in the NBA draft.
NBA Commissioner David Stern opened the draft and announced the selection, the first of the Clippers' two choices among the top six selections. The draft was reduced to three rounds this year and included the expansion Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.
The Clippers, who this year repeated as the NBA's worst club while the Lakers were winning their second straight league title, said they would choose Manning as soon as they won the choice in last month's lottery.
Manning, a 6-foot-10 All-American forward, guaranteed himself the honor of going No. 1 by carrying an otherwise average Jayhawks squad to this year's national championship.
Manning, the sixth leading scorer in NCAA history with 2,951 points, hit 59 percent of his shots in his four years at Kansas. He averaged 24.8 points and 9.5 rebounds as a senior. He is a good shot-blocker, passer and ball-handler and is considered capable of playing any position.
Manning joins Michael Cage, the NBA's leading rebounder last season, and Benoit Benjamin, a talented but inconsistent center, in the Clipper forecourt.
The No. 1 choice assures Manning a lucrative contract. David Robinson and Patrick Ewing, the top choices in 1985 and 1987, signed some of the biggest contracts in the history of team sports, each for about $30 million.
The No. 2 choice also followed expectations as Indiana took center Rik Smits of Marist. The Pacers last week confirmed they would take the 7-4 Dutchman unless offered an established star.
Smits averaged 24.7 points and 8.7 rebounds a game last year and was named ECAC Metro Player of the Year for the second straight season. He has a soft touch for a player his size, but his strength and experience against premier competition are suspect.
Although they have not posted a winning season since 1981, the Pacers missed the playoffs on the last day of this season and finished at .500 the previous year. Indiana can now start a formidable frontline, with Smits, 1986 Rookie of the Year Chuck Person and either Wayman Tisdale or Steve Stipanovich, also No. 2 choices when they entered the league, at power forward.
The Philadelphia 76ers used the third pick on Charles Smith of Pittsburgh. Smith, a 6-10 forward, averaged 18.9 points and 7.7 rebounds last year and was named Big East Player of the Year. The physical play of the Big East should suit him well in the pros. He finished as Pittsburgh's all-time leading scorer (2,045), rebounder (987) and shot-blocker (346).
The New Jersey Nets selected Chris Morris of Auburn with the fourth pick. Morris emerged as a star his senior year. The 6-8 forward can handle the ball and run the floor. There is some question about whether his knee and back are completely sound. He averaged 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior and was the Tigers' leading 3-point shooter.
Mitch Richmond of Kansas State was the first guard selected, taken fifth by the Golden State Warriors. Richmond led Kansas State to the final eight in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-5 guard can post up or hit the outside shot. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a senior.
The Clippers used their second pick, No. 6 overall, on scoring champion Hersey Hawkins of Bradley. The versatile 6-3 guard led the nation in scoring last season, averaging 36.3 points a game and was named UPI Player of the Year. He has excellent moves and a quick shot. He finished as the all-time leading scorer in the Missouri Conference (3,008).
The Phoenix Suns chose Tim Perry of Temple with the seventh pick. Perry was the leader on the Temple team that was No. 1 in the nation most of the season. The 6-9 forward is a superb shot-blocker, solid rebounder and good defensive player.
Charlotte, which gained the eighth choice in a coin flip with Miami, made its first pick in the college draft and selected Rex Chapman of Kentucky. Chapman, a 6-4 guard, gave up his last two years of eligibility. He has an excellent shot but is short on experience. Chapman was only the third player in Kentucky history to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons.
The Miami Heat spent its first draft choice on Rony Seikaly of Syracuse. He finished his career as the Orangemen's leading rebounder (1,094), second in blocks (319) and fourth in scoring (1,716). At 6-11 Seikaly is one of the best big men in the draft. A center for the Orangeman, he is projected as a power forward.
The San Antonio Spurs, who picked Navy ensign David Robinson No. 1 overall last year, closed out the top 10 with by choosing Willie Anderson of Georgia. Anderson, 6-7, moved from small forward to guard as a junior and led Georgia in scoring in his final two seasons. He averaged 16.7 points and 4 assists as a senior and played on the U.S. squad that won the silver medal at last year's Pan American Games.
Chicago gained the 11th choice in a deal late Monday night that sent Charles Oakley to New York for Bill Cartwright. They selected Will Perdue of Vanderbilt. The 7-footer led the Southeastern Conference in rebounding and was named the league's Player of the Year. He has improved steadily and was one of the nation's top centers last season, averaging 18.3 points and 10.1 rebounds.
The Washington Bullets, with the 12th pick, went for Harvey Grant of Oklahoma. The 6-9 forward transferred to Oklahoma as a junior and in his senior year led the Sooners to the the NCAA title game this past season. He is the brother of the Bulls' Horace Grant.
Jeff Grayer, a 6-4 guard from Iowa State, was selected 13th by the Milwaukee Bucks, the fourth Big Eight player chosen. Grayer can shoot from long range, post up and play strong defense. He averaged 20 points over his career and is Iowa State's all-time leading scorer with 2,502 points.
Phoenix, with a pick obtained from Cleveland, used its second first-round choice on Dan Majerle, a forward from Central Michigan. Majerle, 6-6, averaged 21.9 points over his career. He is a strong and versatile player who can go to the offensive boards. He has impressed scouts at the Olympic Trials. He finished second on his school's all-time scoring, steals and field goal percentage lists.
The Seattle SuperSonics, at No. 15, took the first point guard - Gary Grant of Michigan. He scored 21.1 points as a senior and finished as Michigan's all-time leader in assists (731) and the school's second leading scorer (2,222 points). He is considered one of the nation's most talented guards but has been accused of disappearing in big games.
Immediately after Seattle selected Grant, Stern announced a complex three-team deal that sent Smith and Grant to the Clippers, Hawkins to Philadelphia and Cage to Seattle.
The Clippers sent Cage, the NBA's leading rebounder, to Seattle and wound up, through the acquisition of Smith and Grant and the selection of Manning, with Nos. 1, 3 and 15 in the draft. The Clippers have one of the youngest lineups in the league, having taken three first-round picks last year as well.
Philadelphia, which was expected to take a guard instead of Smith, wound up with Hawkins and one of Seattle's three 1989 NBA draft selections.
Houston chose Derrick Chievous 16th. Chievous, 6-7, is a good defensive forward. He completed his career as Missouri's leading scorer (2,580) and was 5 rebounds short of Stipanovich's school record of 984. Chievous averaged 23.4 points and 8.5 rebounds his senior season.
Eric Leckner, Wyoming's 6-11 center, went 17th to Utah. Leckner, the Cowboys' third-leading career scorer, shoots well for a big man and averaged 15.4 points as a senior. He hit 64 percent of his field-goal attempts.
Sacramento, which had traded its top pick to the Clippers, obtained Atlanta's choice for Reggie Theus and chose Ricky Berry of San Jose State. Berry, 6-8, can play big guard, point guard and small forward. He averaged 24.2 points as a senior and hit almost half his 3-point attempts during his career. He is a Pan Am player with good range but could be hurt in the pros by lack of bulk.
The New York Knicks, who appeased local fans a year ago by taking St. John's star Mark Jackson, this year took point guard Rod Strickland of DePaul, who played high school ball in the Bronx. Strickland, who skipped his senior year, averaged 16.7 points and 7.8 assists last season. He had repeated disagreements with DePaul Coach Joey Meyer. Felt Forum fans booed the selection, hoping the the Knicks would take Shelton Jones, Jackson's former St. John's teammate.
The Heat, with a pick obtained from Dallas, took another DePaul product -- Kevin Edwards. The 6-3 point guard averaged 18.3 points last season. He is a smart player, having never fouled out of a game. He can jump well and hit from outside although his quickness is suspect.
Mark Bryant of Seton Hall was taken 21st by Portland. The 6-9 forward paced Seton Hall to its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season. He can bang the boards and score inside. Bryant caught the attention of scouts as a senior when he averaged 20.5 points and 9.1 rebounds and shot .564 from the field.
The Cleveland Cavaliers named Randolph Keys of Southern Mississippi with the 22nd pick. The 6-9 forward was the MVP of the National Invitation Tournament two years ago. He is his school's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,626 points) and fifth leading rebounder (723). He averaged 17.7 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. However, his defense is a question mark.
Jerome Lane of Pittsburgh went 23rd to Denver. Lane, an excellent offensive rebounder at 6-6, passed up his senior year. He averaged 12.2 rebounds last season and led the NCAA in rebounding with 13.5 a game in his sophomore year.
The Boston Celtics, with the league's oldest lineup, picked Santa Barbara guard Brian Shaw. Shaw, 6-6, was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association Player of the Year. He is a good ball handler who can go to the boards. He averaged 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists as a senior.
The champion Los Angeles Lakers closed the first round, taking David Rivers of Notre Dame. The 6-0 guard can penetrate and run the floor. He suits the Lakers' running game and gives them backcourt insurance. Rivers spent much of last year recovering from a near fatal car accident. He averaged 17.4 points for his career and is the Irish's all-time leader in steals (201) and assists (586).
