European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday june 26. 1991 the stars and stripes Page 25 Aba draft draft s top six pack d Wall of by Jan Hubbard a \ new Day. A a the similarities Are intriguing and a certainly for the first six teams in the 1991 draft a the prospects Are exciting. Tonight they will choose from a six Man group that includes a Center who Ivas  in Africa a bundle of excitement from the acc and a Short powerful Forward. A group with similar roots entered the Aba in 1984 a Akeen Olajuwon from Nigeria Michael Jordan from north1 Carolina and Charles Barkley who seemed to get Shorter each time he. Was measured As the. Draft approached. A the 1991 group May not have anyone who will become As great As those three players but As a group the top six this year ultimately May be even stronger. A this reminds me of the year of Olajuwon Sam Bowie Jordan Sam Perkins Barkley and 1 Mel Turpin a said Aba scout a my director Marty Blake. A that. Hurried out to be a Good draft. Turpin did no to do Well and Bowie got Hurt but you had three great players and Perkins has been pretty  a the current group includes Dike be Mutombo the 7-2 Center from Zaire and Georgetown who May yet be the no 1 pick in the. Draft Kenny Anderson the electrifying Point guard from Georgia. Tech Larry Johnson the powerful Forward from univ who was listed at 6-7 in College but recently was men sired at 6-5�?Ta Syracuse a Billy Owens who May be the most skilled player in the group Doug Smith Yuho at 6-10, can Piny either Forward position and Steve Smith the High scoring 67 guard from Michigan Stalc All come from winning pro a a Grams. All will make big . And As a result All will be cd a petted to have significant and immediate. Impact because All will go to losing teams whose fans  win. ,7 �.,none seems frightened by the Prospect. However each has been successful enough in  lege to believe Quot that Success in a the Aba is inevitable. If there is one common thread. Running through the elite members of the 1991 draft it is Confidence. But they. Also Are realistic about the task at hand which they should be because they will he playing for 1. Charlotte 265.6, .317 2. New Jersey 26-56, -3173. Sacramento 25-57, -305 4. Denver 20-62, .244 5. Miami 24-58,. .293 6. Dallas 28-54341. Those "1990-91 records Are in shirk contrast to what the College players recently experienced but they will join their new teams with eyes wide open a look at. The top six in order of a. College winning percentage 1. Larry Johnson playing for a bad team a it gives me something to build on. I Don t feel bad at All. In Chicago when Michael first went to the team a championship was never thought of. Michael has built that. Nam a a 5 a a a a  h meeting High expectations a a whatever team go to the Only tiling in a going to offer is hard work. Whatever the coach wants. Me to do ill say a coach i m Larry Johnson. In a Here to do what you need me to do. That a basically it. You need me to do this ill do it. You need me to Back up this Guy ill do in you need me to Start and try to get 30 Points and 12, 14 rebounds. Ill try to do that too. A Marty Blake comment a Larry Johnson is going to be a hell of a player. He needs to learn a Little finesse on getting his shots off but he s got no  2. Billy Owens playing for a bad team a a that a something in be got to get used to. In be talked to Derrick Coleman Owens former College teammate who plays for the new Jersey nets he said that the Money s Good but he hates losing. Maybe i can go in there and they just need me to get into the program to do better. If not in be just got to get used to it and try to work to become better. If i had my Choice. My team would be , meeting High expectations Quot i have a feeling the fans Are going to put a lot of pressure on me. That s How it was at Syracuse. I was a supposed to take them to the championship  think in a mature enough to handle that pressure. In a not. Going to go out on the court and try to do things in be never done  Marty Blake comment Towens can be an All Star at two positions and at some Point he could play. The. Point in the. Passing game. He a a Small Forward big Forward with All Star  3. Doug Smith playing for a bad team a a it a going to be. A a change. In a just. A going to go in and try to . Best of any situation whether its going in and playing right away or if i Hae to wait. In a just going to go in and do the things that Are asked of me by the coaching staff and Hope it works out. I can Deal with losing. That a part of compe. Tuition to be Able to accept losing for a while.�?�. A a a a _ a 1 1 meeting High expectations a i feel Good about that. I like to be put into  where 1 have. To produce. In a just going to try to do the things the coaching a staff asks me to do. I m just going a to do my Best. I try not to expect anything. I just try to go out and play hard that a the Way i be always approached basketball. 1. Figure it i play that Way ill con. Tine to  a a. Marty Blake comment a if i was a team and had a. Chanee to get. Doug Smith 1 would take a him and be  a Dike be a Mutombo playing for a bad team a i done to really., mind wherever in a going. My Point of View is that i. Hope people will treat me right and 1 will do what i can to get the team better. I la work really Harland help the team get to where it really wants to be and try to  playoffs Quot. A a. Meeting High expectations a i.  listen to what people. Are saying. 1 think its up to my a coach who will work with me to Tell me what i have to do and it 5. Up to me to do what i have to. Do. And if i do i think i will be a. Really Good basketball player. I a have progressed a lot. I break so Many records for blocking shots. And1 grabbing so Many rebounds. And i think will continue with Larry Johnson Billy Owens Doug Smith St Dike be Mutombo the same ideas and those things that in be been doing in  Marty Blake comment a Mutombo is going to be a hell of a player next year he will Block three shots get from 6 to 10 rebounds and  change any number of shots. He a Only Dayed three years. You a can t ind centers and he loves to play a it Jya a 5. Kenny Anderson a a playing for a bad team a the bigger the Challenge the bigger the Reward. If i come in and do average and make Rny team better than they were that a a big Reward. Its just a big Challenge for me to. Be a Point guard and have leadership at an Early age. But its something in a. Looking for Ward  Quot a a a a Kenny Anderson meeting High expectations �?o1 really understand a lot of people putting a lot. Of expectations on us As athletes. Its not our fault that people put us on a Pedestal. But we just have to learn to Deal with that. Those who can to Deal with it look to other things As far As drugs. Its something in my learning How to Deal with. I created this monster. 1 played Well in College curd High school and 4 have the la font j can to let other people get me Down turn my dream into disaster. I want to be a professional so its something in be got to  a a a / Marty Blake comment a a he a a great Point guard its going to .take1 him a while physically but artistically he has no problems. He can get his shot he can penetrate and handle the Ball. But Sieve. Smith physically he a going to have trouble covering people at  6. Steve Smith playing for a bad team a just being in the Aba ill just be Happy being there there arc a lot of positives going to a bad team like that you might get the Chance to play right  meeting High expectations i a a those Are High expectations from fans i guess fans expect a lot because teams Are paying a lot of . Just looking vgo in and play the Best i pm. And if i have to sit Down and wait my turn ill be willing to do that a Marty Blake comment a Steve Smith is the. No.1 shoot ing guard. He s also shown he can play the Point. He a going to give some team a lot of versatility