Nba Draft

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Mike Bantom was part of the United States basketball team that lost to the Soviet Union in a controversial final at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He said his experience provided a profound message that has stayed with him. In the gold medal game, the United States led by a point with three seconds to go. The Russians had three cracks during the final three seconds and eventually scored on the third to win, 51-50. The Americans felt they were cheated and never accepted their silver medals.

VILLANOVA'S Maalik Wayns, as most figured all along, has made it official. The junior lead guard from Roman Catholic High will not be coming back for his final season of eligibility. Instead, he will keep his name in the NBA draft. "We've been hearing all the rumors, so there was no reason to wait any longer," said Wayns, a second-team All-Big East selection and the leading scorer (averaging more than 17 points a game) on a team that finished 13-19. "The best thing was to get it out. "It's kind of a relief.

MAALIK WAYNS still could come back to Villanova for his fourth season. It just doesn't feel that way. Nevertheless, the junior lead guard was noncommital yesterday, 24 hours after putting his name into consideration for the NBA draft. The Wildcats' leading scorer (17.6 points per game), a second-team all-Big East selection, has until April 10 to make his final decision. Given those time restraints, it's difficult to see him changing his mind. But maybe, you never know. "I think it's too up in the air right now," the Roman Catholic product said at the Davis Center practice facility.

Dorell Wright is not expected to be a starter this season for the 76ers, but he showed Wednesday night that he could excel in that role or any other coach Doug Collins has in mind. Acquired from Golden State in a three-team trade, the 6-foot-9 Wright provides something the Sixers were severely lacking last season - a consistent perimeter game. Starting for the first time in his third preseason appearance for the Sixers, Wright scored 17 points in a 113-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Lavoy Allen entered his rookie season with the 76ers without the highest of profiles. He had starred at Pennsbury High and Temple, but Allen, the 50th overall selection in the 2011 NBA draft, probably exceeded the expectations of Sixers fans simply by making the team. Even better, Allen contributed as a rookie and became a vital frontcourt performer in the postseason for the Sixers. This season, his profile, and likely his playing time, will rise. Even with the addition of Andrew Bynum, Allen was expected to see his share of time at power forward and possibly center.

Maybe it's because things are still new. Maybe it's because he is making his first trip as a professional to his hometown. Whatever it is, Wednesday's preseason game at the Wells Fargo Center against the 76ers is a big deal for Dion Waiters, a Cleveland Cavaliers rookie and South Philadelphia native. Waiters was the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft after his sophomore season at Syracuse, and his first professional homecoming, albeit in an exhibition setting, is something he has been looking forward to. "It's a special game for me," Waiters said in a phone interview.

For now, not much has changed in the lives of NBA players as the league's lockout continues into its second week. Even in times of labor peace, little basketball is played during July anyway. But if the work stoppage drags on into August and beyond - which looks likely - the players must find a way to get in shape and sharpen their skills without the benefit of their teams' facilities and support staffs. Although those under contract are not prohibited from playing full-court basketball during the offseason, they are not under their teams' coverage if they get hurt in a summer-league game, a charity game, or while playing for a team in Europe.

When the 76ers make their first selection Thursday in the NBA draft, the player they add with the 15th overall pick will have been scrutinized by coaches and scouts for hundreds of hours. They will know, for the most part, every strength and weakness of his game. Though it knows what type of weak-side defender a player might be at the NBA level, none of the basketball brain trust will know how that player's mind works. That's why, when asked about a player's mental makeup and his personality, the response usually is about a player's "motor" or lack thereof.

Lavoy Allen 6-foot-9, 255, F-C, Temple, second NBA season, age 23. Allen came on strong late in his rookie season and averaged 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 19.7 minutes during the postseason. He might be the strongest player on the team and can keep defenses honest with a solid medium-range game. Allen is expected to start at center while Andrew Bynum recovers from knee problems. Kwame Brown 6-11, 290, C, Glynn Academy (H.S.), 12th NBA season, age 30. Injuries limited Brown to nine games with Golden State, but he figures to get backup minutes at center.

One of the most poignant comments made during TNT's coverage of Wednesday night's NBA draft was from University of Utah coach Rick Majerus. After San Antonio drafted Leon Smith, whose basketball experience is limited to Martin Luther King High in Chicago, Majerus said, "This is a sad day again, because this guy should go to college. " TNT's Hubie Brown pointed out that Smith has had "a difficult life. He's a ward of the state. " Brown added that Smith had no intention of going to college.