Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
May 25, 2001, Washington Post

Lesson No. 1: Be Picky

The Washington Wizards and Michael Jordan just got lucky. After a terrible season and a 19-63 record (19 wins and 63 losses), the ball finally started bouncing the Wizards' way. The ping-pong ball that is.

Let me explain. Each year pro basketball teams get to pick new players from a group of college stars (and even some high school standouts) who have decided to go pro. And the National Basketball Association (NBA) uses numbered ping-pong balls to decide who gets to pick first, second, third, and so on.

This year the numbered ping-pong balls fell in perfect order for the Wizards. So on June 27, the Wizards and their president of basketball operations, Michael Jordan, will get to draft the very first player from this year's group of newcomers.

That means the Wizards will get the best player in the draft. Right?

Well, maybe. But maybe not. Just because the Wizards can pick the very first player does not mean they will get the best player.

Oh, sure, some great players have been the No. 1 pick. How about this for a list of former No. 1 picks who are now NBA all-stars:

Tim Duncan (No. 1 pick in 1997)

Allen Iverson (1996)

Shaquille O'Neal (1992)

Wow, wouldn't any of those guys look great in a Wizards uniform?

But don't get too excited. Some not-so-hot players have been picked No. 1, too:

Michael Olowokandi (1998)

Joe Smith (1995)

Derrick Coleman (1990)

Sometimes the best player in the draft is not the first player picked. No one knows that better than Michael Jordan. When Jordan came out of college in 1984, he wasn't the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. He wasn't even No. 2. The Chicago Bulls picked Michael Jordan with the third pick in the draft.

Who was picked in front of Michael Jordan? The first pick was Hakeem Olajuwon. A prime-time center and 12-time all-star who led the Houston Rockets to two NBA titles, Olajuwon was not a bad pick at all.

The second pick in 1984 was Sam Bowie. You've never heard of Sam Bowie? He was a 7-foot-1 center from the University of Kentucky who spent most of his short NBA career on the bench or in the hospital. Sam Bowie was always hurt. Believe me, he was no Michael Jordan.

So right now, the pressure is on Jordan to make the right move with the No. 1 pick. Maybe he'll pick Duke star Shane Battier. Maybe he'll take some high school hot shot and hope that the kid becomes the next Kevin Garnett or Tracy McGrady. Or maybe he'll give up his No. 1 spot to a team willing to give one (or even more) of its proven players to the Wizards.

But Jordan better score big with this No. 1 pick -- he'd better pick a Tim Duncan instead of a Michael Olowokandi -- or the Wizards will be worrying about ping-pong balls instead of basketballs for years to come.

FRED BOWEN is the author of sports novels for kids. Write to him at KidsPost, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071. Or e-mail (with "The Score" in the subject field): kidspost@washpost.com.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company