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Is LeBron still the one?

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Darko's troubles aren't over just yet | Who are the best of the rest? | Darko's agent has more tricks up his sleeve | Peep Show

Inside the NBA Draft: The Yugo Diaries

NBA Rumors: Is Kidd headed to the Alamo?

The biggest topic of discussion among NBA executives during All-Star Weekend had nothing to do extra playoff games, Michael Jordan's last All-Star Game, Yao Ming's first All-Star Game or the rising tide of violence and disciplinary problems polluting the NBA.

No, the biggest topics of discussion among the guys who have to run NBA teams were an 18-year-old high school shooting guard with a Hummer, and an obscure 17-year-old, 7-footer from Yugoslavia.

LeBron James and Darko Milicic weren't invited to All-Star Weekend, but judging by the buzz they were creating in Atlanta, you would've never known.

Last season, all anyone could talk about was Yao Ming. Now that we know what we've got with him, apparently it's time to move on.

Players and GMs alike already were weighing in on the impact James and Milicic will have in the NBA. Everyone had an opinion on LeBron. Everyone had a question about Darko.

Is a LeBron backlash brewing? Michael Jordan said LeBron would be an "average" NBA player when he came into the league. Other players weren't even that gracious.

The sky, or maybe the universe, who knows, is the limit for LeBron James.

"LeBron's in for a rude awakening," former prep star Tyson Chandler told Insider. "All that stuff that you get away with in high school, they take that away from you in the NBA. Your best stuff. Teams figure that out, and then they won't let you do your thing. I'm constantly trying to add stuff, but right now a lot of is forced."

Jay Williams, the poster child for staying in school, thinks the high school kids miss a lot by skipping college.

"There's little things that they're missing that they would've had if they stayed in school. Like hard work," Williams said. "Tyson is working hard, and Eddy's figuring it out, but when I was in high school, I thought running a couple of suicides was a tough workout. Your eyes are really opened when you get to college. They instill a work ethic there."

Memphis rookie Gordan Giricek tried to put the situations of the two stars into perspective.

"I came straight out of high school to play professionally," he said. "I had a chance to go to a university, but when I looked at what I wanted to do with my life, it makes no sense. You go to college to get smarter in the field of your future job. My future job was basketball. I knew this. I wasn't going to get smarter about basketball studying history in college. I know it is a risk, but kids are smart enough to make their own decisions."

Ironically, the GMs I talked to weren't worried at all about LeBron's decision to skip college and come straight to the NBA.

"He's ready," one Eastern Conference GM told Insider. "Kevin Garnett was ready. Amare Stoudemire was ready. This kid is ready. He understands the game, is fundamentally sound and understands the effort it takes on the floor to get it done. He's really wise beyond his years. I'm not saying he'll be a superstar overnight, but I think he can have the same impact that Yao and Stoudemire are having this year."

One Western Conference coach went even further. "He'll be starting in the All-Star Game next season. I just hope he's wearing our jersey."

LeBron James would be fitting addition to Bulls' Romper Room

Jay Mariotti / Chicago Sun-Times

Go ahead LeBron, get it off your chest

Tom Knott / Washington Times

Kids that are seen and hurried

Sam Donnellon / Philadelphia Daily News

King of cha-ching

Bob Cohn / Washington Times

Darko's troubles aren't over just yet

The most shocking question at All-Star Weekend was simply this, "Is LeBron James still the No. 1 pick?"

NBA beat writers, GMs, coaches, even players were all asking me the same question. I'm one of the few members of the media who has seen both James and Darko Milicic play live. If Darko is as good as advertised, they posited, wouldn't teams be crazy to draft a guard over a big man?

Darko Milicic, 17, is seven feet tall and has a full complement of skills.

There's a pretty simple answer to the question. Darko could be the next Hakeem Olajuwon and it wouldn't matter. Given the ticket sales and fan interest LeBron will generate, no team in its right mind, regardless of its needs, is going to pass on him. Trade who you have to trade. LeBron will get you sellouts for the next 10 years.

Still, that's not dampening the buzz on Darko. While a few GMs have made the trip to Vrsac, Yugoslavia, to watch him play, most were waiting until the league ruled on his eligibility to make the 14-hour jaunt halfway around the world. Until know, Darko's audience has been numerous international NBA scouts and yours truly. That's about to change.

"My phone has been ringing non-stop," Milicic's agent, Marc Cornstein, told Insider. "Everyone's excited that he's in the draft, and they're ready to get a closer look."

Said one GM whose team has scouted Milicic heavily, "It's not very often that a young 17-year-old, 7-footer with an NBA body, an aura of toughness and low-post skills declares for the draft. If it was any other year, he'd easily be the No. 1 pick in the draft. I think that's why there's such a buzz. It's not very often that you have two No. 1 caliber picks in the same draft."

While just about everyone in the media was shocked when the NBA announced it was reversing its decision and would allow Milicic and another young international phenom, Sofaklis Schortsianides, to enter the draft, several GMs weren't quite as surprised.

Apparently, team executives, through their owners, were also lobbying David Stern to back down on the issue and let the younger international kids in the draft. Said one Eastern Conference executive, "The rule was stupid. Those kids were professionals. The rule made no sense for them. And the truth is, they're more mature than most of the kids with two or three years of college under their belts. I think Stern was getting it from all sides. It was a no-brainer."

Milicic was a bit more surprised. "I'm shocked," he said in a phone interview. "I'm just overjoyed. My NBA dream is about to come true."

However, Darko's saga still isn't over.

Cornstein left for Yugoslavia on Tuesday to begin talking buyout with Milicic's team, Hemofarm. It's not going to be easy. Milicic's parents signed a contract for Darko when he was 15 years old. The contract runs through 2007 and has no buyout provisions.

Negotiating overseas can be tricky. Hemofarm is going to want much more than the $350,000 that teams can contribute to a buyout. He's the only star on a virtual no-name team. Hemofarm has been very protective of Darko so far, and if past negotiations with Yugoslavian clubs are any indication, the talks could drag on for some time.

Cornstein, however, told Insider he isn't concerned. "It's going to happen. I'm not worried. His club is very reasonable. We have a great relationship. They understand that this is his dream and knew it would be coming sooner rather than later."

Even if Hemofarm does try to play hardball, Cornstein will have an ace up his sleeve. Recent rulings by FIBA, the international basketball governing body, have indicated that players, once they turn 18, don't always have to honor contracts signed by their parents. Clubs pretty much understand the contracts aren't enforceable after a kid's 18th birthday. Just the threat of litigation, and losing all of a buyout for Darko, should be enough for Cornstein to get a deal done.

Cornstein hopes to have his client's release secured by early June, when Darko's season is over. Cornstein then plans to bring him to the U.S. for private workouts with teams that haven't gotten a good look.

Who are the best of the rest?

So, your team's in the lottery but doesn't get the first or second pick? Don't throw yourself off a building just yet. Although most teams feel this is going to be a pretty weak draft after LeBron and Darko are off the board, there are some interesting names left on the radar screen.

Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony could be the No. 3 pick in the draft if he declares.

The consensus No. 3 pick, if he declares, would be Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, a super athletic 6-foot-8 swingman, is averaging 21.5 ppg and 9.6 rpg on 46 percent shooting.

"He's really awesome," one NBA scout told Insider. "He can run like the wind, has out-of-this-world athleticism, and he's an unbelievable rebounder for his size. Really the only flaw in his game is his 3-point shooting. He needs to develop a more consistent stroke from the outside."

After that, things get much fuzzier. A couple of other college underclassmen, Georgia Tech freshman Chris Bosh and UConn sophomore Emeka Okafor, are considered potential high lottery picks. However, the buzz in Atlanta was that both kids likely would stay in school for another year.

Bosh has been adamant about getting an education. Tech coach Paul Hewitt told the Atlanta Journal Constitution this week that they expect Bosh back next season, but reliable information that he might be a lottery pick in June's NBA draft could "change things," Bosh said.

Emeka Okafor is hot prospect, but scouts think he'll stay in school one more year.

Okafor, who is an exceptional student as well as a phenomenal shot blocker, is actually on pace to graduate, a la Jay Williams, after his junior year. But given how much his game has blossomed offensively this season, it probably makes sense for the 6-foot-9 power forward to spend another year honing his moves on the block.

The rest of this year's potential lottery picks have a lot of promise, but they're mostly unproven players.

Kansas point guard Kirk Hinrich, Louisville combo guard Reece Gaines, Illinois forward Brian Cook and oft-injured Western Kentucky center Chris Marcus are the only college seniors with a realistic shot at the lottery.

Juniors getting the most attention include Oregon point guard Luke Ridnour, Mississippi State power forward Mario Austin, Washington State sleeper Marcus Moore, Missouri two-guard Rickey Paulding, Georgia swingman Jarvis Hayes and Miami sharp-shooter Darius Rice.

The sophomore class, with the exception of Okafor, isn't wowing anyone. Florida's David Lee, Minnesota's Rick Rickert and three small point guards -- Notre Dame's Chris Thomas, Texas' T.J. Ford and UConn's Ben Gordon -- are getting the most buzz.

The only other freshmen, behind Anthony and Bosh, getting much attention from NBA scouts at this point are Notre Dame's Torin Francis and Arizona's Hassan Adams. However, scouts believe both kids need at least one or two more years of seasoning.

In 2001, four high school players made it to the lottery. Last season, only one, Amare Stoudemire, made it into the first round. Was that a backlash to the poor seasons of Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler? Hardly. This year, several other high school seniors are hoping to slip in on LeBron's coattails. Texas big man Kendrick Perkins, New Jersey forward Charlie Villanueva, Jersey two-guard Lulol Deng and 300-pound Alabama center James Lang are all considering making the leap.

And of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention several other international prospects with a great shot at the lottery. Leading the pack are Brazilian forward Anderson Varejão, Greek big man Sofaklis "Baby Shaq" Schortsianides, and France's answer to Vince Carter, super athletic swingman Mickael Pietrus.

Darko's agent has more tricks up his sleeve

It seems like at least one new NBA power agent emerges every year. Last year, Bill Duffy went from a well-regarded agent to NBA power broker when he signed on Yao Ming, Jay Williams, Drew Gooden, Fred Jones, Kareem Rush and Tayshaun Prince all in the same year.

This season, the early money is on Darko Milicic's agent, Marc Cornstein. Not only will Cornstein be controlling the likely No. 2 pick, he's got a host of other young international stars who could make a major impact in the draft this season.

Cornstein, by NBA standards, is relatively new to the game. At just 32 years of age, he's already accumulated 31 clients, including three NBA players -- Samuel Dalembert, Primoz Brezec and Denver's Predrag Savovic -- and host of American college stars, including Sconnie Penn, Marvin O'Conner and Reggie Freeman, who play overseas.

At 7-foot-6, Slavko Vranes would be the tallest player in the NBA.

But that's basically the tip of the ice berg. His stable of young international players includes Zoran Planinic, a 6-foot-6 Croatian point guard who some scouts feel could sneak into the lottery. He also has, perhaps, the most intriguing player expected to be in the draft. Seven-foot-6 center Slavko Vranes is just 19 years old, but he already has scouts drooling. While Vranes is still very raw, his height and size -- he weighs around 280 pounds -- virtually guarantee that he's a first-round pick. Add in slick 6-foot-7 Yugoslavian shooting guard Aleksander Pavlovic, and in all likelihood, Cornstein is looking at four first-round picks this season.

Cornstein may have also landed the best young prospect in Yugoslavia this year when he added 6-foot-5 Yugoslavian point guard Milos Teodosic to his roster. Teodosic, who is just 15 years old, is already being called the best young point guard in Europe. And he has the top undrafted international free agent in 6-foot-9 small forward Ognjen Askrabic. Askrabic is expected to collect big dollars in the free agent market this summer when he finally gets out of his big contract in Yugoslavia and heads for the NBA.

That stable of players has put Cornstein on par with the other top NBA international agents -- Duffy, Marc Fleisher and SFX's David Bauman.

Cornstein, who once worked for Anthony Mason's agent, Don Cronson, said he saw and an opening in Europe several years ago, and with the help of his president of European basketball affairs, Dragan Delic, he's turned his company (Pinnacle Management) into a force to be contended with.

"I just took the opportunity and ran with it," Cornstein said. "Now that we're on the verge of having a few high impact players in the draft, I think we'll really explode overseas. It's been a hard, long journey, but we're finally seeing some of the fruits of our labors."

Peep Show

Miami Heat: We know Miami is facing serious cap issues this summer. Is trading Alonzo Mourning and his $20 million expiring contract the answer to all of their problems? Ethan Skolnick of the Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat could provide major cap relief to a team, bring in one or two top players and still re-sign Mourning next summer to a smaller deal if he was healthy. "Any trade of Mourning would be strictly ceremonial. Barring a miracle, he would not wear another jersey. If his health enabled him to return this summer, the Heat could re-sign him to an improved roster worth his time and risk to join."

Philadelphia 76ers: Larry Brown said he's out there looking for a trade deadline deal, but they aren't easy to find. "Most teams that I've talked to Billy about I think are concerned about [the luxury tax]," Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Our ownership is concerned about it. With that in mind, if you can improve your team and be fiscally responsible, you always have to consider that. Now I don't know how you get them both done."

New York Knicks: Latrell Sprewell is talking like the end of his tenure with the Knicks is near. Sprewell wonders whether new fans will embrace with the same affection Knick fans afforded him. "I don't think it would be the same way," Sprewell told the N.Y. Post. "The Garden is a special place. I don't know if I'd be accepted as [much] as I would here. You never know until you are in the different situation. I don't really care either way," Sprewell said about a potential trade. "Wherever I'm at, I'm going to play and play hard. That's just me."

Milwaukee Bucks: Ray Allen took it easy over All-Star Weekend, but his ankles aren't feeling any better. "I'm rested," Allen told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I was on the beach the whole time [during all-star weekend]. But I spoke with the doctors about cortisone shots. [The rest] did justice to my body. But I've never felt this in my ankles before. It feels like the bones are grinding together."

San Antonio Spurs: David Robinson's ailing hip and back could keep him out of action for a while. "When it gets to be the nerve in that hip, his leg doesn't move," coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express News. "It keeps him from doing what he's able to do on the court. It can be a dangerous thing at that point for him, so we need to get it looked at and get it squared away so it doesn't get worse where he's got a real problem. We're trying to nip it in the bud now so if he misses some games now it's better than missing the playoffs like last year."

Boston Celtics: Vin Baker had nine points and three boards in his return to Seattle Tuesday, prompting Antoine Walker to tell the media to back off. "Vin's fine," Walker told the Boston Herald. "I think you guys make more out of Vin than anything. Y'all need to figure out if y'all want him to be healthy and be a basketball player or do y'all want to see if he's going to quit basketball. He ain't going nowhere, man. He's got four years. Leave him alone."

Cleveland Cavaliers: Ricky Davis may be having a breakout season, but GM Jim Paxson said it hasn't been easy. "Convincing Ricky to be a part of the offense, to be patient, is one of Keith's biggest challenges," Paxson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Ricky needs to understand that no one player is bigger than the team. We are talking about maturity."

Denver Nuggets: Marcus Camby picked a strange game to make his first real appearance for the Nuggets this season (we're not counting the 17-second thing). Camby was a surprise start against Shaq of all people. "Obviously there is a lot of rust on Marcus' game," coach Jeff Bzdelik told the Denver Post. "But just for him to be out there and competing is a positive for us." Camby went 1-for-8 from the field. "It felt pretty good for the most part. I just wanted to play and see where I was at against one of the hottest players in the league. I'm trying to go [tonight]. I didn't shoot particularly well. I want to redeem myself."

Chicago Bulls: Agent Aaron Goodwin is pushing for a Jamal Crawford trade again. "I know Jerry doesn't want to trade Jamal, but it could be in everybody's best interest," Goodwin told the Chicago Tribune. "They clearly are showing favoritism. Jay is a great player, but he should be allowed to compete like anybody else. Jamal has had to compete to get playing time. Jamal has outperformed him as a starter and he has from Day 1. It's not like the rest of the league isn't watching what's going on. It is."

Heat future still centers on Zo

Ethan J. Skolnick / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wish list in hand, Sixers start shopping

Ashley McGeachy Fox / Philadelphia Inquirer

Spree's Talking Like End Is Near

Marc Berman / New York Post

Allen's injured ankle still a sore spot for Bucks

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Admiral back home for treatment

Johnny Ludden / San Antonio Express-News

Pierce injured in Celts' win

Steve Bulpett / Boston Herald

Cavs' Smart needs help from Davis

Terry Pluto / Akron Beacon Journal

Camby returns, but Kobe burns

Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

Crawford camp sad

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune