The Top Of The 1995 Nba Draft Crop

1. Golden State - Joe Smith, Maryland F - The 6-foot-10 Smith suits the Warriors’ needs, and has the work ethic and confidence to handle the pressure of being No. 1.

2. L.A. Clippers - Jerry Stackhouse, North Carolina F-G - Could Smith wind up being the Sam Bowie to Stackhouse’s Jordan? Yep, he could. Stackhouse will finally bring life to the funereal Los Angeles Sports Arena.

3. Philadelphia - Antonio McDyess, Alabama F - Rasheed Wallace is a local kid for the 76ers, and Harold Katz says he forgives Wallace’s mother for saying her son shouldn’t play for such a stingy owner. But even Katz knows that McDyess is the safer pick here.

4. Washington - Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina F-C - What the Bullets need most is a point guard, which is why they may be trading down to get one in a deal or to pick Damon Stoudamire later in the round. But if they don’t trade, it means they really like Wallace as much as they have claimed. Doesn’t Wallace draw an awful lot of negative whispers for a guy so talented?

5. Minnesota - Kevin Garnett, Farragut Academy, Chicago F-C - This is too good to be true for the Timberwolves - a franchise player they can build around. If Washington moves its pick, watch the new No. 4 team grab Garnett and make this another worrisome day for the Wolves.

6. Vancouver - Bryant Reeves, Oklahoma State C - Grizzlies fans may not know much about basketball, but they’ll know that a 7-foot, 295-pound center will be something worth rooting for.

7. Toronto - Cherokee Parks, Duke C-F - Garnett is the man Isiah Thomas wants. But if he can’t get him, Parks will do as a promising consolation prize.

8. Portland - Ed O’Bannon, UCLA F If the Blazers can’t move up, they’ll be happy to take the Pacific-10 co-Player of the Year (with Stoudamire). That’s too bad for the Nets, who might have had a better chance of having O’Bannon slip to them if Detroit had kept the pick.

9. Nets - Shawn Respert, Michigan State G - Can a 6-2 shooting guard coexist with a 6-1 point guard like Kenny Anderson? Maybe a better question is, can the worst shooting team in the league, picking ninth, afford to bypass the best outside shooter in the draft?

10. Miami - Corliss Williamson, Arkansas F - Lots of people have questions. But as Indiana general manager Donnie Walsh says, “I don’t think you can bet against guys that have been that successful in their college careers.”

11. Milwaukee - Damon Stoudamire, Arizona G - The Bucks have two great young forwards, no center, and a bunch of so-so guards. One Stoudamire at the point may be a better deal than all the Milwaukee backcourtmen combined.

12. Dallas - Kurt Thomas, Texas Christian University F - Born and raised in Dallas, and the NCAA’s leading scorer and rebounder last season, too. No way the Mavericks pass up this guy.

13. Sacramento - Bob Sura, Florida State G - Mitch Richmond turns 30 Friday. It’s never too early to start thinking about a replacement. Seminoles coach Pat Kennedy calls Sura the most versatile player he has coached.

14. Boston - Gary Trent, Ohio U. F - The 6-8, 240-pound Trent has a lot of upside. Hard to tell if he’s a small forward or a power forward. Maybe he’s a little of both.

15. Denver - Sherell Ford, Illinois-Chicago F - Ford was the MVP of the Nike Desert Classic in April. The Nuggets, who need an explosive scorer, take a stab at one here.

16. Atlanta - Alan Henderson, Indiana F - The Hawks need big bodies, and Henderson supplies one that might help right away. Experts have Henderson going anywhere from No. 10 to No. 25, one of the widest swings of any player.

17. Cleveland - Randolph Childress, Wake Forest G - Either the Cavs can use Mark Price to tutor Childress or they trade Price for help up front and have a hole to fill at the point.

18. Detroit - Rashard Griffith, Wisconsin C - The puny Pistons might as well take a stab at the poor guy who one scout labeled “the next Benoit Benjamin.” Actually, at pick No. 18, the prospect of a 10-year starting center seems appealing - if they can just get him to exercise.

19. Detroit - Mario Bennett, Arizona State F - And while the Pistons are at it, why not grab a possible sleeper with the next pick? He may be an even better pro than a collegiate player.

20. Chicago - Eric Williams, Providence F - Williams helped himself immensely at the predraft camps and could turn out to be a bargain at No. 20. He and possible signee Jayson Williams might combine to be a big help to the Bulls up front.

21. Phoenix - Greg Ostertag, Kansas C - Let’s just say he meets all the requirements. And somebody has to replace Dan Schayes when he retires.

22. Charlotte - Michael Finley, Wisconsin G - The Hornets love to load up on gunners, plus they may not like any of the point guards or centers still available.

23. Indiana - Brent Barry, Oregon State G - Tough break for Rick’s son, who would have gone to Portland at No. 18 if the Blazers had held onto the pick. Oddity: Barry shot just 79.4 percent from the foul line in college.

24. Dallas - David Vaughn, Memphis F - The Mavericks can use Vaughn as an understudy for Popeye Jones and Roy Tarpley until he’s ready to take over full-time.

25. Orlando - James Forrest, Georgia Tech F - Somebody is going to get a great seat for all those Magic trips to the NBA Finals in the next few years. Forrest has some long-term potential.

26. Seattle - Lawrence Moten, Syracuse F - Moten is the kind of player who could thrive in the Sonics’ hectic style on both ends of the court.

27. Phoenix - Travis Best, Georgia Tech G - If the Suns lose Elliot Perry to free agency, someone will have to be brought in to back up Kevin Johnson.

28. Utah - George Zidek, UCLA C The Jazz will pretend that maybe someday he’ll be another Mark Eaton. Any 60-victory team that uses James Donaldson and Tom Chambers in the pivot is sure to gamble on a center in the draft.

29. San Antonio - Donny Marshall, Connecticut F - Marshall tends to play his best in big games, and the Spurs hope to have plenty of those again this season.