CLIIPPERS GET SEVENTH PICK IN NBA DRAFT.

Byline: Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writer

It could have been the one gift worth spending your birthday in Secaucus, N.J., for.

Clippers coach Bill Fitch turned 62 in the Garden State on Sunday, hoping for the ultimate present to a lottery team - the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. But that prize, as expected, went to the Philadelphia 76ers during the event staged for national television.

The trip was hardly a loss for Fitch, however, because the Clippers at least held their ground and ended up with the No. 7 pick, which is exactly where they were projected to finish.

That was more than the Clippers could say last year, when they should have landed the No. 1 pick, but slid to No. 2 in the lottery.

``We held our own,'' Fitch said.

The Clippers, making their 10th lottery appearance in 12 years, now have to decide what to do in a draft deep in underclassmen, but thin in franchise-making players.

``I think the immediate needs we have to improve are our rebounding and we have to improve our ability to run the (fast) break,'' Fitch said.

Georgetown's Allen Iverson and Georgia Tech's Stephon Marbury figure to be among the top three picks, making it difficult for the Clippers to obtain an impact point guard.

But as Fitch noted, neither player would help the Clippers ``get more rebounds.'' L.A. was the league's fourth-worst rebounding team last season.

And that was with Brian Williams, who has become a free agent and could play elsewhere next season, although Fitch said Sunday he expects the Clippers to re-sign the charismatic center.

If the Clippers want frontcourt help, Mississippi State's Erick Dampier (6-11), Cal's Shareef Abdur-Rahim (6-10) and Syracuse's John Wallace (6-9) could be available.

There's also a pair of international players whose stock could rise: 7-2 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a Lithuanian likely to be heavily scrutinized after countryman Arvydas Sabonis' stellar season, and Ukrainian Vitaly Potapenko, a 6-10 junior from Wright State.

``I think the draft last year may be a little bit better in the top 10,'' Fitch said. ``I think it's one where a lot of guys will blossom in another year.''

About the only thing that seemed clear on Sunday is that the Clippers are probably not going to take a chance on any of the three high school players available, including 6-5 guard Kobe Bryant or 6-11 center Jermaine O'Neal.

The Clippers' urgency to improve hardly lends itself to slowly developing an 18 year old.

``You definitely know it's a long wait for some of those people,'' Fitch said. ``We would be one of those teams that would hope to get more of a quick fix.''

Last year, the Clippers' first-round choice, Brent Barry, was one of the oldest rookies at 23.

There is also the possibility that the Clippers could trade their pick, but Fitch said that decision would be made after he and his staff evaluate talent in the coming weeks.

``You don't rule anything out,'' Fitch said.

The 76ers should have an easier time.

They are lacking a point guard and either Iverson or Marbury could fill an immediate need. Or they might grab a potential front-line star, Massachusetts forward Marcus Camby.

The prospect of landing any of those players was enough to send Philadelphia's new owner president, Pat Croce, flying out of his seat to celebrate like a game-show contestant after the announcement at the NBA offices in New Jersey.

The Toronto Raptors actually won the 13-team lottery, but under an agreement governing expansion franchises, Toronto and Vancouver are ineligible for the No. 1 pick until 1999.

``It doesn't make a difference to me,'' Croce said. ``I can only spell No. 1 one way.''

Toronto and Vancouver will have the draft's second and third picks.

``Conventional wisdom says Philadelphia will probably take a point guard and Toronto, not needing a point guard, might look at a (Connecticut junior shooting guard) Ray Allen or a Shareef Abdur-Rahim,'' said Stu Jackson, Vancouver's general manager.