NEW YORK -- The first NBA draft of the 1990s will be sleeker and feature slim pickings for teams coveting the elusive 'impact player.'
The draft, to be held June 27 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, lasts but two rounds as per an agreement between the league and the National Basketball Players Association. The two sides agreed to limit the number of rounds to allow lesser players a chance at free agency.
'Teams have to do more scouting, but I think it is a great idea,' said NBA scouting director Marty Blake. 'The players can try out with three or four teams and the teams have a chance to try out three or four guys for a specific position.'
But what of the college crop for 1990?
'This year's draft does not feature a marquee-type player like a Danny Manning, David Robinson or Patrick Ewing, but it is deep with many talented pro prospects,' said Billy McKinney, the Minnesota Timberwolves director of player personnel.
The two players most likely to be selected at the top are 6-foot-10 forward Derrick Coleman of Syracuse and early entrant 6-foot-8 swingman Dennis Scott of Georgia Tech.
Coleman is considered the top prospect bringing size, speed and ball-handling to his position. Coleman finished his career as the Big East Player of the Year and the NCAA's all-time leading rebounder.
Scott, who enters the draft as a junior, also is a potential No. 1 pick, impressing scouts with his ability to drive or shoot from 3-point range. He averaged 27.7 points and 6.6 rebounds last year for Georgia Tech.
With few blue-chip draft candidates, the rumor mill has been working full tilt listing teams trying to position themselves in the draft for a specific player.
The New Jersey Nets own the first choice, but are said to be willing to trade the pick for some established veterans. They reportedly have told the other 26 teams they will listen to all reasonable offers.
Among the teams said to be interested in obtaining the top pick are the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons, both of whom apparently covet Scott.
One rumor coming out of the draft combine in Chicago was the Lakers offering Byron Scott and A.C. Green to the Nets for their top pick. Another had Detroit trading John Salley and Mark Aguirre for the Nets' No. 1.
The Lakers were also rumored to have offered Scott and Mychal Thompson to Seattle for its second pick. The SuperSonics enter as one of the luckier teams in the lottery. The selection was weighted to favor teams with poorer finishes and with just two of the 66 balls in the hopper, they still came out with the second pick overall.
Said Seattle Coach K.C. Jones: 'Having the No. 2, we can be a pawnbroker and look at all the possibilities, which are many. We are looking at all the options, trading up, trading down, trading (draft choices) for veterans and making trades to fill holes after we draft No. 2. Our most pressing needs are a legitimate point guard and a center, but we are not necessarily looking to fill those needs with a college player.'
Jones listed Coleman, Scott, point guard Gary Payton of Oregon State and forward Lionel Simmons of La Salle as the top four candidates.
'Scott is particularly delicious,' Jones said. 'At 6-foot-8, he can post up, stick it in the hoop from 3-point range, and pass. And he can run all day. He's a nice player.'
The most desired prize in any draft is a talented big man, Blake notes that a team has a chance to draft a legitimate center on average every 20 and-a-half years. There appears to be precious little pivot talent this year.
Enigmatic Dwayne Schintzius, who failed to complete the year at Florida, is listed as one of the best.
Says Miami Coach Ron Rothstein: 'You can't coach 7-2.'
But by most accounts, he is considered a risk. The Orlando Magic own the fourth pick, but aren't likely to spend it on Schintzius.
He showed up for a draft camp at Orlando in April at 293 pounds and has drawn the ire of the front office.
'The interview with Dwayne went great, but in the middle of it, he got hungry,' General Manager Pat Williams said. 'We had to take him out to graze.' Added Williams: 'From No. 3 on, I'm not sure if it matters whether you pick three or seven. But in a draft where the players begin to dwindle pretty quickly, I think we're in a position to come away with a definite NBA player, and that's important.'
The Heat pick third and need help in just about all areas. Miami Personnel Director Stu Inman preferred to enter the draft with an open mind.
'All things being equal, we'll definitely go big,' he said. 'But we see a significant dropoff between Derrick Coleman and the next power forward. At center, we haven't ruled out Dwayne Schintzius and are still giving some thought to Felton Spencer (of Louisville). But the quality in the top 10 seems to be at the off guard -- Dennis Scott, Kendall Gill (of Illinois), Bo Kimble (of Loyola Marymount).'
The order of selection for the first round is as follows: No. 1, New Jersey; No. 2, Seattle; No. 3, Miami; No. 4, Orlando; No. 5, Charlotte; No. 6, Minnesota; No. 7, Sacramento; No. 8, LA Clippers; No. 9, Denver (from Dallas through Washington); No. 10, Golden State; No. 11, Atlanta; No. 12, Houston; No. 13, LA Clippers (from Cleveland); No. 14, Dallas (from Indiana); No. 15, Denver; No. 16, Milwaukee; No. 17,
