The Golden State Warriors, who lost two coaches in a turbulent season in which they sent Chris Webber packing, opened the off-season on the right foot Sunday by getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
The Warriors, with the fifth worst record in the league, had a 9.4 percent chance of winning the first selection in the weighted system that gives the worst teams the best chance at the top picks.However, the Warriors overcame the odds for the June 28 draft in Toronto in which the first four players might be underclassmen - big men Joe Smith of Maryland, Antonio McDyess of Alabama, Rasheed Wallace of North Carolina and teammate Jerry Stachhouse, a swingman.
The Los Angeles Clippers, the league's worst team, will get the No. 2 choice.
Philadelphia, which had the fourth worst record, won the No. 3 pick. Washington, which had the second worst record, dropped to No. 4 and Minnesota, the third worst club, drew the No. 5 pick.
Expansion teams Vancouver and Toronto will get the sixth and seventh picks, with the order to be decided after the NBA Finals.
The eighth through 13th picks went in the order the teams finished the regular season. Detroit received the eighth selection and will be followed by New Jersey, Miami, Milwaukee, Dallas and Sacramento.
Had Detroit gotten lower than No. 8, San Antonio would have had the right to swap with the Pistons, something commissioner David Stern noted. He turned to new Pistons coach Doug Collins shortly after the position was announced and said: "Feeling better."
Dave Twardzik, the Warriors' new general manager, also was feeling better. Just days after hiring Rick Adelman as his new coach, he now has the top pick.
"Now our homework starts," Twardzik said. "We have to figure out who we want."
Twardzik said no one player in the deep draft stands out, but the Warriors do need a big man, which means Smith might be the No. 1 pick.
The Warriors went 26-56 last season in a year in which Don Nelson resigned and was replaced on an interim basis by Bob Lanier. The season was also marked by a multiplayer trade that sent Webber to Washington for Tom Gugliotta and three first-round draft picks. Gugliotta was eventually traded to Minnesota.
Clippers coach Bill Fitch wasn't overly disappointed having the second pick.
"The No. 1 thing about this draft is there are four or five guys who will get a lot of consideration," said Fitch, whose team had 17 wins last season.
"If you asked all of the people up here and took a consensus vote, I doubt that you would get one or two players that would stand out."
Milwaukee had the No. 1 pick last season and took Glenn Robinson. Dallas selected Jason Kidd with the second pick and Detroit followed with Grant Hill.
Kidd and Hill shared the rookie of the year award.