University of Virginia Library

NBA Draft
Reviewed

By Randy Wert
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The World Champion New York
Knickerbockers pulled through the
National Basketball Association
expansion player draft Monday
without losing any of the
performers that led them through
the arduous season to the league
crown. The runner-up Los Angeles
Lakers were not quite as fortunate,
losing starting guard Dick Garrett
to the Buffalo Braves.

The format for the player pool,
the fourth in the past five years for
the league, allowed each of the 14
established teams to protect seven
players, lose one and then freeze
another man. No team could lose
more than three players, and nine
organizations lost only two.

Don May and Bill Hoske of the
Knicks went to the Braves, who
earlier picked Virginia's Chip Case
as their second choice in the college
draft. John Warren, New York's
first round pick last year from St.
John's, was chosen by the
Cleveland (get this) Cavaliers. This
means that the expansion teams
valued these young, seldom used
players over starter Dick Barnett
and team spark plugs Mike Riordan
and Dave Stallworth, at least one of
whom had to be unprotected. The
loss of May and Hoske still leaves
the Knicks with Bill Bradley, Dave
DeBusschere, and Cazzie Russell to
play up front.

Los Angeles lost Jumpin
Johnny Egan to Cleveland, and
UCLA's Mike Lynn to Buffalo in
addition to Garrett, who for some
mysterious reason was not frozen
by the Lakers. The rebuilding,
Boston Celtics were raided for a
trio of ging stalwarts in Larry
Selgfried, Bailey Howell, and
Emmette Brnt. Obviously
referring to protect their younger
talent, the Celts et these three go.
The latter two went to Buffalo who
immediately traded Howell to
Philadelphia for former Chicago
ull Fred Kauffman, Sigfried,
longtime Celtic sixt man and
hot-off-the-bench flash, was traded
to San Diego for Jim Barnett after
being drafted by the Portland Trail
Blazers.

Cleveland also came up with
Milwaukee's Len Chappell, a
veteran of NBA action with the
Atlanta Hawks before going to the
Bucks. Another Buck taken by a
new team, Buffalo, was Fred
Crawford who acceded to the
starting lineup in the playoffs,
replacing ice-cold Flynn Robins.
Evidently Milwaukee will give
journeyman Robinson another
chance. The Cavaliers so grabbed
Atlanta's veteran Don Ohi who
used to be a Baltimore Bullet, and
Butch Beard in addition to
Chicago's Walt Wesley and
Cincinnati's Luther Rackley.

Ray Scott of Baltimore, another
big name around the league, and
forward George Wilson of the 76's
were picked by the Buffalo
franchise who has the makings of a
good backcourt in the likes of
Garrett, Bryant, Crawford, Mike
Davis, acquired in a trade with
Baltimore, and Herm Gilliam of the
Royals.