Teams digging for gold

Could be buried treasures among the 58 draft picks

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Wednesday June 24, 1998 01:32 AM

At No. 45, Cleveland drafted Cedric Henderson, who went on to average 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Every year, player personnel directors and scouts stand around a couple months into the season, scratch their heads and ask: "How did we miss this guy."

Last season, the player making them smack themselves in the forehead was Cedric Henderson, who dropped all the way to No. 45 before being picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He went on to average 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists, helping make Wayne Embry the Executive of the Year.

Steve Nash was a late gem in 1996, and Nick Van Exel slipped into the second round in 1994. This year's draft undoubtedly contains a similar future success story.

Here are five players who could be drafted anywhere from late in the top 10 to not at all, each with some sort of an interesting upside:

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany: If you like NBA conspiracy theories, you'll like this guy. Nowitzki came to the Nike Hoop Summit in San Antonio in late March and was the best player on the court, scoring 33 points with 14 rebounds before going back to Germany and entering the army to fulfill his military service obligations. Was once coached by Donnie Nelson, son of the Mavericks general manager, and has been the subject of various Nellie theories in recent days. Rumor out of Boston had Rick Pitino flying overseas to see a workout after telling everyone he was in Kentucky with his horses. PROJECTION: Late lottery pick.

Tremaine Fowlkes, Fresno State: The type of player scouting directors love to call an "energy guy" -- always playing hard and making something happen. Was the Pac-10 freshman of the year at Cal in 1994-95 before transferring after his sophomore year following a 14-game suspension for taking money from an agent. Raised his stock during the Chicago pre-draft camp with his enthusiastic play. PROJECTION: Late first round or early second round.

Tyrone Nesby, UNLV: Won the slam dunk contest in the Nike Desert Classic in Arizona with a jam resembling Isaiah Rider's "East Bay Funk Dunk" from the 1994 All-Star Weekend, adding to his collection of dunk contest titles. A 6-foot-6 small forward who led UNLV in scoring and was second in rebounding, has NBA 3-point range and is comparatively well-experienced at 22 years of age. PROJECTION: Early to middle second round.

Earl Boykins, Eastern Michigan. Only 5-foot-5 and 135 pounds, NBA types are scared off by his size. Was the MVP of the World University Games team in 1997 and earned honorable mention All-America status following his senior year. Was second in the nation in scoring in 1997-98 with a 25.7 average, and scored 30 or more points seven times and 40 or more points three times. PROJECTION: Middle to late second round.

Simon Dwight, Canberra, Australian League: A 23-year-old who has been playing professionally for five years, arrived in the U.S. less than two weeks ago and has impressed teams in workouts. A 6-foot-9 forward, he has shot-blocking ability, a soft touch on his jumper and strong rebounding skills. PROJECTION: Late second round or undrafted.

Related information
Stories
MacMullan, Burwell and Hill pick the lottery Workouts help NBA draft decision process 12 Intriguing Prospects
Multimedia
TNT's Kenny Smith gives his sleeper picks () Click here for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI on cable 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.