NBA DRAFT REPORT
JSU Guard in 10th Pick of Draft
The day before the NBA draft, Jack
son State guard Lindsey Hunter got a
piece of advice from a long-time idol.
Detroit Pistons all-star guard Isiah
Thomas told Hunter not to be surprised if
the Pistons took him with either the_team!&_
10th or 11th pick in the first round.
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Detroit used its 10th pick of the draft
on Hunter in hopes he can step in and run
the team when Isiah Thomas retires.
"I'm a young Isiah,'* said Hunter, who
wears the same number (11) as Thomas. "I
love to play defense, I can shoot, arid I'm
a little cocky. i_ ?
"I just met him, and I almost fainted.
He's the guy I've always looked up to.
I've tried to play like Isiah since I was
small. He's the greatest point guard to
ever play the game. I want to be just like
Isiah Thomas."
Said Thomas: "When I saw him on
film, I thought, "This is our guy.* "
Hunter was one of four players from
the Southwestern Athletic Conference tc
get picked by a NBA team. In addition to
Hunter, Mississippi Valley had two sec
ond-round picks. Al Ford, a high-scoring
guard, was the 32nd overall pick by the
Philadelphia 76ers, and center mark
Buford was the 49th piek by the Phoenix
Suns.
Southern forward Leonard White was
the 53rd pick of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Pistons tried their best to disguise
their interest in Hunter. Bill McKinney,
the team's director of player personnel,
didn't bring Hunter in for a visit. He then
told reporters that the Pistons wouldn't
draft any player who didn't make a visit
"Maybe I concealed the truth a little
bit," said McKinney, who was afraid that
the Los Angeles Lakers or another team
would jump ahead of the Pistons and
select Hunter. "But there was a lot of
interest in Lindsey Hunter, and I had to
protect my interest"
One of those teams interested in the
6-foot-2 Jackson, Miss, native was the
Charlotte Hornets and Houston Rockets.
But after a strong showing at the
Chicago pre-draft camp. Hunter became a
high comodity.
"Every year, somebody stands out in
the draft (tournament in Chicago), and
Lindsey Hunter really stepped up in
Chicago," said Houston coach Ruby Tom
janovich. "He moved up frbm a second
round pick to a first-round pick, and,
maybe even a high first-round pick. We
thought he'd be there for us for the 24th
pick, but now we're not sure."
While Hunter's
haye reinforced how Hornets director of
player personnel Dave Twardzik already
felt about him, it didn't help the Hornets'
chances of landing him in the 17th pick in
the first round.
"The camp hurt us because the guy I
liked all year (Hunter) played well and
may have moved up to the point where he
won't be there when we pick/' Twardzik
said prior to the draft. "It was definitely
counterproductive for us.
"Before this weekend, I thought we
had a very gpod chance of getting him.
Now we just have a chance. It makes you
think of other options."
Hunter became the first Jackson State
first-round pick since Purvis Short was
taken fifth by the Golden State Warriors in
1978. He set 14 school records in three
seasons after transferring from Alcorn
State.
Even Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars,
the incumbent backcourt, praised the
selection of Hunter. Thomas watched
Hunter work out and was stunned with
what he saw.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," Thomas
said.
"I look at the NBA and since I've
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been in the league, he's, the only one to
come in ? aside from Tim Hardaway ?
who can do the things with the ball that I
can do.
"I can't wait to play with him. I can't
tell you how excited I am, and I'm not
usually at a loss for words. We've got two
basketball players. The thing we lacked
last year was we didn't have depth. I can't
wait until next year."
* -
Said Dumars: "I think we've helped
ourselves tremendously."
The Pistons came away from the draft
feeling they grabbed the sleeper of the
draft in Hunter, a 6-2, 170-pounder who
played shooting guard in college but is
projected to play both guard positions in
the NBA. Hunter averaged 26.7 points on
41.2 percent shooting and scored a school
record 48 points against Kansas.
"I saw a lot of similarities between
him and Isiah," McKinney said. "Because
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Lindsey Hunter
he played at a small school, he didn't get
the recognition. But when you can play
that well against a good defensive pro
gram like Kansas, then you're something
special." /
Mc Kinney was sold on Hunter, who
then was projected as a second-rounder,
back in April when he excelled at one of
the pre-draft camps in Phoenix.
"Detroit is definitely the place for
me," said Hunter. "Behind Thomas and
Joe Dumars, the best two guards on the
planet"
Hunter realizes that he has to make
some adjustments to play in the NBA.
"Basically, I'll just learn behind Joe
and Isiah," Hunter said. "It's great because
I'll be learning behind two All-Star
guards, and that can make me better. I've
tried to play like Isiah since I was small. I
wear No. 11. He's the greatest point guard
to ever play the game.
"This is a guard-oriented team, so
they're probablji luulliig for someone to
carry on the tradition. It's a tremendous
leap. It'll be an adjustment* but physically
I think I'm ready. The'mental part will
come a; I learn faore, but I'm prepared to
learn all I can. I think 1 can play a strong
role coming off the bench and do a little
bit of everything. I'm just ready to go out
there and work."
? By DERRICK MAHONE