NBA DRAFT : Answers Bring Questions When Names Are Called

After a last pause to review reports from private detectives and reconsider their decisions and, perhaps, career options, 27 NBA general managers will step up to bat in today’s draft.

This is considered a weak field, but it still will be an expensive one, with top players commanding $10-million contracts or threatening to bolt overseas.

The European community already has been heard from. Nevada Las Vegas’ Greg Anthony says the entire Rebel starting five has been invited to Rome by Il Messaggero.

With so much at stake, teams aren’t inclined toward risk. The Boston Celtics sent a private detective to Enid, Okla., to check out John Turner of Phillips University, who lost his Georgetown scholarship when he refused to end a friendship with a drug dealer.

At least one team had an investigator snooping around Arizona’s Brian Williams.

Many trades have been rumored, but none were made Tuesday. Eleventh-hour activity today is expected, as usual.

UNLV’s Larry Johnson is still set to go No. 1 to the Charlotte Hornets. Even this pick shows how shaky the consensus is.

Hornet personnel director Allan Bristow likes Johnson. However, Bristow flew to Washington Sunday to watch a workout for 7-foot-1 Dikembe Mutombo, this year’s wild card, set up by Mutombo’s agent, David Falk, who had heretofore refused to put his client in individual sessions.

Hornet chief scout Dave Twardzik liked Syracuse’s Billy Owens but cooled on him in the interview process. Hornet Coach Gene Littles said he wanted Owens, then was obliged to recant, saying Johnson fit the needs of his team.

Mutombo, talented but unpolished, has gotten late consideration for all of the top spots. Houston Rocket assistant John Killilea describes him as a player who can make a personnel director into a general manager . . . or a job prospect.

For all the mental anguish, the top six choices are expected to run to form.

At No. 7, Minnesota shopped for a veteran power forward until new Coach Jimmy Rodgers arrived last week and pulled the Timberwolves out of the market. They are expected to take center Luc Longley of New Mexico, though they already have a young center, Felton Spencer. Rodgers thinks Longley would be marketable even if the combination doesn’t work.

Williams, this season’s mystery pick, is expected to drop to the Orlando Magic at No. 10.

General Manager Donnie Walsh of the Indiana Pacers says that, on skills, the 6-10 Williams should be one of the draft’s top six players. However, something about him frightens scouts. Walsh called him a nice, intelligent young man but one who seemed to have little in common with the rest of the guys, a Joe Barry Carroll-type.

Aside from that, the situation is fluid, with several other questions to be answered:

--Can the Clippers finally deal their No. 9 pick for Doc Rivers?

--Will Seattle President Bob (Go for Broke) Whitsitt, who made the Shawn Kemp pick, gamble at No. 14 on 7-2, 309-pound Stanley Roberts, giving the SuperSonics a tandem with Benoit Benjamin capable of devouring any commissary?

--If Whitsitt passes on Roberts, will he take a flyer on a smaller whale, Iowa State’s 6-9, 270-pound Victor Alexander?

--Can the Warriors’ Don Nelson package his three first-round selections (Nos. 16, 17 and 25) and move up?

--If not, can Nelson, who has always insisted on good guys but who is dying for big ones, make himself pick Roberts?

Remember, in the past two drafts, Nelson has bypassed Vlade Divac and Dwayne Schintzius and still needs a center.

Everyone else could use a center, too. Today will show what they’re prepared to do to get one.

TELEVISION: 4:30 p.m., TNT

MOCK DRAFT: C5

NBA Mock Draft

Staff writer Mark Heisler takes a last look at how the the first round of today’s NBA draft in New York could unfold.

Pick Team Player Position School 1 Charlotte Larry Johnson Forward UNLV 2 New Jersey Billy Owens Forward Syracuse 3 Sacramento Kenny Anderson Guard Georgia Tech 4 Denver Dikembe Mutombo Center Georgetown 5 Miami Steve Smith Guard Michigan State 6 Dallas Doug Smith Forward Missouri 7 Minnesota Luc Longley Center New Mexico 8 Denver Mark Macon Guard Temple 9 Clippers Greg Anthony Guard UNLV 10 Orlando Brian Williams Forward Arizona 11 Cleveland Stacey Augmon Forward UNLV 12 New York John Turner Forward Phillips (Okla.) 13 Indiana Rich Kinguard Center Nebraska 14 Seattle Victor Alexander Center Iowa State 15 Atlanta Rodney Monroe Guard North Carolina State 16 Golden State Dale Davis Forward Clemson 17 Golden State Anthony Avent Forward Seton Hall 18 Milwaukee Chris Gatling Forward Old Dominion 19 Washington Stanley Roberts Center LSU/Spain 20 Houston Chad Gallagher Forward Creighton 21 Utah LaBradford Smith Guard Louisville 22 Clippers LeRon Ellis Center Syracuse 23 Orlando Terrell Brandon Guard Oregon 24 Boston Rick Fox Forward North Carolina 25 Golden State Pete Chilcutt Forward North Carolina 26 Chicago Kevin Lynch Guard Minnesota 27 Sacramento Shaun Vandiver Center Colorado