Gotham Hoops Special Edition

"Lost Opportunity – The 1996 NBA Draft”

By Greg Hutchins

5/2/08

As the NBA playoffs take center stage, the Knicks turn their attention to finding a new head coach while preparing for the most important draft in franchise history since 1985. Since drafting Patrick Ewing first overall, the team has had moderate draft success at best. One season after Ewing's selection, the Knicks found themselves in the lottery again with the 5th overall pick and selected Kenny Walker. Walker would become a fan favorite & dunk champion, but a role player at best. With the 18th selection in 1987, the Knicks selected point guard extraordinaire Mark Jackson. Ironically, Jackson has become a hot commodity for Knicks executives 21 years later. Noteworthy selections following Jackson include Rod Strickland (19th overall in 1998), Greg Anthony (# 12 overall in 1991), Hubert Davis (# 20 overall in 1992), Charlie Ward (# 26th overall in 1994).

In some respect, the Knicks lack of draft success is attributed to their 15 year run of playoff success. Draft picks during the Riley/Van Gundy era were routinely used to acquire veterans to bolster the roster. Ernie Grunfeld's trade of the team's 1995 first round selection brought in Rolando Blackman. Their 1997 selection of John Thomas was used to acquire Chris Dudley. During the 1999 draft, Grunfeld's replacement Ed Tapscott passed on St John's star Ron Artest for France's Frederic Weis with the 15th overall selection. Uproar ensued and Weis elected to stay in Paris after finding himself on the wrong end of a humiliating dunk by Vince Carter while playing against Team USA. While Knick fans have lamented over Tapscott's decision to pass on the local product to go the international route, he essentially had the right idea in mind, but selected the wrong overseas prospect. All-Stars Andrei Kirilenko (24th overall) & Manu Ginobili (57th overall) were drafted well after Weis and have became prominent NBA stars.

Although the 1999 draft is remembered as a franchise blunder, in pales in comparison to the 1996 Draft. This draft, along with the 1984 & 2003 classes is widely considered one of the deepest for All-Star talent ever. Allen Iverson would go 1st overall and be followed by the likes of Kobe Bryant (13th), Steve Nash (15th), Ray Allen (5th), Peja Stojakovic (14th), Marcus Camby (2nd) & Jermaine O'Neal (17th). Current Knicks Stephon Marbury (3rd) & Malik Rose (44th) were selected by the Milwaukee Bucks & Charlotte Hornets respectively. 1996 would also produce an undrafted All-Star in Ben Wallace who was signed by the Washington Bullets/Wizards.

Owners of three first round picks, the Knicks went into this draft with the 18th, 19th & 21st selections. The first two selections came courtesy of a series of trades. While it's unknown if Ernie Grunfeld attempted to package the picks to trade up, he ultimately selected John Wallace, Walter McCarty & Dontae' Jones. Wallace was the best pro prospect of the three. The second team All-American led the Syracuse Orangemen to the NCAA title game. Wallace's team would lose the title to McCarty's Kentucky Wildcats but he impressed scouts with a 29 point, 10 rebound game in the championship game. For the season, Wallace would average 22.2 ppg & 8.7 rpg for Jim Beoheim's ballclub.

One the surface, selecting John Wallace appeared to be a good move. Drafting McCarty & Jones is what baffled many. With veterans Charles Oakley, Larry Johnson & Buck Williams getting the bulk of the minutes at the forward slots, drafting three forwards with similar ability made little sense. Although most of the top talent in the 1996 draft was selected in picks 1-17, Grunfeld passed on an opportunity to draft a prime back-up center for Patrick Ewing in Zydrunas Ilgauskas (selected 20th). Other notables selected after Dontae' Jones included Derek Fisher (24th), Jerome Williams (26th), Othella Harrington (30th), Moochie Norris (33rd), Shandon Anderson (54th) & Drew Barry (57th). Joining Ben Wallace as undrafted free agents were Chucky Atkins, Darvin Ham & Erick Strickland. Each undrafted player would go on to have a longer career than Dontae' Jones. Jones would never play a game for the team because of a severe foot injury. John Wallace was traded to the Toronto Raptors after just one season with the Knicks. He is most remembered for occasional scoring outbursts, but his play was mostly inconsistent and his effort was lackadaisical. As a Raptor, Wallace's playing time & points increased but Grunfeld's trade of Charles Oakley to Toronto for Marcus Camby cut into his playing time again. After a 2 year stint in Toronto, he would return to the Knicks as a free agent for the 1999-00 season. Wallace's contract was not renewed and he would go on to play briefly for the Pistons, Suns & Heat before retiring from league. In 7 seasons, Wallace would post career averages of 7.6 ppg & 2.8 rpg. As for Walter McCarty, he would become a longtime reserve & fan favorite for the Boston Celtics, but finished his career with paltry averages of 5.2 ppg & 2.6rpg.

The 1996 Draft has produced some of the top stars in today's game. Kobe Bryant is the consensus favorite this season's league MVP award. Bryant & his backcourt mate Derek Fisher have won 3 NBA titles together and seem intent on getting back to the Finals where they could meet Ray Allen's Celtics. Allen & Peja Stojackovic have become the league's premier outside shooters. MVP winners Steve Nash & Allen Iverson are widely viewed as two of the best guards ever. Marcus Camby & Ben Wallace have won 5 Defensive Player of the Year Awards between them.

Several 1996 draft alumni members (Camby, Marbury, Rose, Williams, Harrington, Norris, Anderson & the 29th overall pick Travis Knight) not drafted by New York would find their way to The Garden, but none would experience All-Star success as a Knick. Camby would come the closest, but Jim Dolan's decision to jettison Latrell Sprewell & his best friend on the team led to yet another wasted lottery pick (7th overall) in 2002 that was traded away.

Looking forward, Donnie Walsh has only one pick in this year's draft. With a guaranteed top six selection, Walsh must choose a player who will have a positive & immediate impact. The Knicks can ill afford to squander the choice or trade it for another has-been.

Gotham Hoops Live host Mike Silva contributed to this article. Questions or comments can be emailed to gardengrasp@gmail.com