Pac-10 Guards Make Their Point Playmakers Developed In West Figure Prominently In Nba Stats

Five of the NBA’s top eight assists leaders are from the Pacific-10 Conference, and two of the NBA’s most exciting new playmakers, Toronto’s Damon Stoudamire and Sacramento’s Tyus Edney, are from the Pacific-10.

Since Kevin Johnson came out of the University of California in 1987, he’s been followed by six point guards who have made their mark at the professional level.

Seattle point guard Gary Payton came out of Oregon State in 1990; Cleveland drafted Terrell Brandon out of Oregon in 1991; Washington Bullets point man Robert Pack was undrafted out of Southern Cal in ‘91; Dallas selected Jason Kidd out of Cal with the second pick in the 1994 draft; the Raptors chose Stoudamire out of Arizona with the seventh pick of the 1995 draft; and UCLA’s Edney was still available when the Kings’ made their second-round pick, 47th overall, last June.

The pipeline should continue. Current Pac-10 point guards Brevin Knight of Stanford, Jelani Gardner of California, Reggie Geary of Arizona and diminutive Kenya Wilkins of Oregon are potential pro players.

Sonics coach George Karl believes young playmakers are drawn to the Pac-10 by its fast-paced, open-court style.

“I feel that on the West Coast, college basketball is played at a little faster tempo and it seems to be more free-lance,” he said. “I think in the East, it’s a little more structured, kind of like the NBA.”

With the exception of Pack, who grew up in New Orleans, all of the pro point guards from the Pac-10 grew up on the West Coast. Edney is from Long Beach, Calif.; Payton and Kidd are from Oakland; Johnson is from Sacramento; Brandon and Stoudamire are from Portland.

“We just like the Pac-10,” Payton said. “We like to run and we like to play for good teams.”

As a former Pac-10 broadcaster, Sonics general manager Wally Walker saw the conference prepare the group for the NBA.

“They all played against numerous NBA-caliber players in college,” he said. “The players the conference is turning out are ready.”

Johnson set the standard, earning the NBA’s most improved player award in 1989 and earning second-team all-NBA honors in ‘89, ‘90, ‘91 and ‘94. In ‘92, he was a third-team selection.

Payton was a second-team member of the all-NBA rookie team in 1991, a third-team all-NBA selection in 1994 and a second-team all-NBA pick last season.

After four years backing up All-Star Mark Price, Brandon became the Cavaliers’ starter and leading scorer when the Cavs traded Price to Washington.

Brandon averages 18 points and 6.2 assists and was the NBA’s Player of the Week for Dec. 3. While guiding the Cavs to a 3-1 record, he averaged 23 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field and 100 percent shooting from the free-throw line (19 for 19). He also contributed 8.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game.

Pack was buried in Denver behind Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Jalen Rose, so the Nuggets traded him to Washington when Price was sidelined by a sore foot.

Although Pack’s shot selection and ballhandling could be better - he’s making only 43.6 percent of his field goals and averages 3.6 turnovers - his other contributions weigh heavier. He’s a tenacious defender and he’s averaging a career-high 18.6 points, along with 8.4 assists (sixth-best in the league) and 4.4 rebounds.

“I think it’s safe to say he’s exceeded our expectations,” Bullets general manager John Nash said.

Pack certainly made believers out of Sonics fans when he shot 54 percent from 3-point range and averaged 11 points and 4.2 assists while helping the 8th-seeded Nuggets eliminate the top-seeded Sonics in the 1st round of the 1994 playoffs.

Stoudamire is a rookie-of-the-year candidate, averaging 16 points and 8.7 assists in almost 40 minutes per game - a pace that would rank him ninth in NBA history in rookie minutes played.

Edney, a cat-quick 5-10 play-maker, overtook Bobby Hurley as the Kings’ starting point guard two weeks ago and has been a catalyst in their fastest start since 1951-52.