Sonics Get Small Forward, Point Guard With Picks Take Ford Of Illinois-Chicago In 1st Round, Trade For Snow
The Seattle SuperSonics got an outside shooter in Sherell Ford and a point guard in Eric Snow in Wednesday’s NBA draft.
One day after trading disgruntled shooting guard Kendall Gill back to Charlotte for Hersey Hawkins and David Wingate, the Sonics selected the 6-foot-7 Ford, a small forward from Illinois-Chicago, with the 26th pick in the first round.
Then general manager Wally Walker, in charge of his first Sonics’ draft, traded second-round draftees with Milwaukee, winding up with the No. 43 selection, the 6-2 Snow, from Michigan State. Walker sent the player the Sonics drafted at No. 54, a 7-foot-1 Lithuanian center named Eurelijas Zukaukas, and the middle of three 1996 Seattle second-round selections to the Bucks.
“I think we’ve really upgraded our ability to score in the half-court,” Walker said. “I think we’re just a much better shooting club. I think we have a nice balance now.”
“I think the Sonics are fine,” coach George Karl said. “That’s two very good days.”
In Ford, Seattle drafted a player who was an inside scorer at IllinoisChicago, which used him some at center and some at power forward. He averaged 22.9 points in his three-year college career and finished fourth in the nation as a senior with a 26.2-point scoring average.
He is a natural small forward, a position the Sonics are deep at with All-Star Detlef Schrempf and backups Vincent Askew and Nate McMillan.
At the Desert Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., a tournament for NBA prospects, this year, Ford played small forward and opened a lot of eyes by averaging 17.7 points against top competition.
“He can score,” Karl said. “He’s a very good offensive player. He likes to play offense and he has a topnotch jump shot.”
Hawkins, a seven-year veteran with a 17.7 career scoring average, will give the Sonics the outside shooting next season that they lacked in their firstround playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Walker said.
Ford was drafted for the future.
“I think he’s more of a pick for down the road than he is for this coming year,” Walker said. “It would be a pleasant surprise for us if he comes in and plays a lot.”
Which is just fine for Ford.
Speaking by telephone from Toronto, this year’s draft headquarters, Ford said he was willing to be patient.
“I think that’s what rookies go through,” Ford said. “That’s their problem. If I don’t play, I’m just going to wait my turn.”
At Michigan State, Snow was fourth in the nation as a senior with an average of 7.8 assists per game. He averaged 10.8 points.
McMillan, who is headed into his 10th NBA season, was All-Star point guard Gary Payton’s backup last season when he wasn’t playing small forward. But McMillan, 30, had surgery in May to remove bone spurs from his left ankle.