Kori Ellis
06-27-2006, 04:17 AM
NBA draft's No. 1 could be several
Web Posted: 06/27/2006 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062706.1D.draft.19863cf.html
The NBA draft, in which teams with little hope get a chance to dream of brighter futures, always is rife with intrigue.
Rarely, however, does the intrigue begin at the very top.
For the first time in a long time, there is no consensus No.1 pick in this year's draft, which will be held Wednesday in New York.
A year ago, Utah center Andrew Bogut emerged as the consensus No. 1 pick after leading his team to the NCAA Final Four. The Milwaukee Bucks made it clear they would make him the top selection long before draft night.
This year, Texas center LaMarcus Aldridge has emerged as a possible No. 1 pick after leading his team to the Elite Eight, but at least five other players have drawn strong consideration. LSU forward Tyrus Thomas, Italian center Andrea Bargnani, Washington swing man Brandon Roy, Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison and Connecticut forward Rudy Gay also could wind up hearing their name called first by NBA commissioner David Stern.
"It's always been one of two guys, generally," said Sam Presti, the Spurs' assistant general manager. "But in this draft, the thing that makes it more blurry is, not only do you not have a consensus No.1 pick, but there is uncertainty over who is going to be making the pick, in and of itself."
The Toronto Raptors have the right to make the first selection, a result of good fortune in the draft lottery. But the Raptors have made it clear they would entertain offers.
Presti, for one, believes the temptation for the Raptors to trade the pick will be overwhelming.
"It's hard to predict what they are going to do, but at the end of the night, I find it hard to believe they'll be making that selection," he said, "because they're going to have so many opportunities to address packages and different deals."
Don't expect the Spurs to present a package deal. They don't even have a first-round pick to include in such a package. It went to the New York Knicks, part of the 2005 trade that brought Nazr Mohammed to San Antonio in exchange for Malik Rose.
The Spurs have the 59th selection in the two-round draft, the next-to-last pick in the second round.
Wednesday's draft is the first to which the league's new 19-year-old age limit applies. Recently graduated high school seniors are not eligible, a ruling that took Greg Oden, a 7-foot center from Indianapolis expected to be a force in the NBA, out of the draft class.
"You would think the age limit would develop more certainty, in terms of how the talent would stack up," Presti said. "For whatever reason, it's clouded it. There is less of the intrigue guy, or the fast-rising unknown, whether it be a guy like an Andrew Bynum from last year. There aren't that many guys like that this year."
Though high schoolers aren't eligible and several high-profile European stars chose not to make themselves available, some still believe there is adequate talent available.
"Because there's no real consensus No. 1 guy it's easy to say this isn't a good draft, but I think that's a copout," said David Fredman, the Denver Nuggets' assistant general manager. "There's going to be some good players who end up playing. You find guys playing in the Finals who didn't get drafted, so that's our challenge."
The nature of this year's draft class portends a lot of wheeling and dealing before, during and after.
"Every team tries to package and move up," said Mike D'Antoni, the Phoenix Suns' coach and vice president. "I don't think there's one clear-cut kind of player, so look for teams to hop around a bit. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
Presti does not rule out trading into the first round for a "target group" of players. He believes the nature of this draft will produce more draft-night deals than most.
"From the time the first pick is selected until the last pick is called, there are going to be a number of trades," Presti said. "That will impact the way this falls."
Web Posted: 06/27/2006 12:00 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA062706.1D.draft.19863cf.html
The NBA draft, in which teams with little hope get a chance to dream of brighter futures, always is rife with intrigue.
Rarely, however, does the intrigue begin at the very top.
For the first time in a long time, there is no consensus No.1 pick in this year's draft, which will be held Wednesday in New York.
A year ago, Utah center Andrew Bogut emerged as the consensus No. 1 pick after leading his team to the NCAA Final Four. The Milwaukee Bucks made it clear they would make him the top selection long before draft night.
This year, Texas center LaMarcus Aldridge has emerged as a possible No. 1 pick after leading his team to the Elite Eight, but at least five other players have drawn strong consideration. LSU forward Tyrus Thomas, Italian center Andrea Bargnani, Washington swing man Brandon Roy, Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison and Connecticut forward Rudy Gay also could wind up hearing their name called first by NBA commissioner David Stern.
"It's always been one of two guys, generally," said Sam Presti, the Spurs' assistant general manager. "But in this draft, the thing that makes it more blurry is, not only do you not have a consensus No.1 pick, but there is uncertainty over who is going to be making the pick, in and of itself."
The Toronto Raptors have the right to make the first selection, a result of good fortune in the draft lottery. But the Raptors have made it clear they would entertain offers.
Presti, for one, believes the temptation for the Raptors to trade the pick will be overwhelming.
"It's hard to predict what they are going to do, but at the end of the night, I find it hard to believe they'll be making that selection," he said, "because they're going to have so many opportunities to address packages and different deals."
Don't expect the Spurs to present a package deal. They don't even have a first-round pick to include in such a package. It went to the New York Knicks, part of the 2005 trade that brought Nazr Mohammed to San Antonio in exchange for Malik Rose.
The Spurs have the 59th selection in the two-round draft, the next-to-last pick in the second round.
Wednesday's draft is the first to which the league's new 19-year-old age limit applies. Recently graduated high school seniors are not eligible, a ruling that took Greg Oden, a 7-foot center from Indianapolis expected to be a force in the NBA, out of the draft class.
"You would think the age limit would develop more certainty, in terms of how the talent would stack up," Presti said. "For whatever reason, it's clouded it. There is less of the intrigue guy, or the fast-rising unknown, whether it be a guy like an Andrew Bynum from last year. There aren't that many guys like that this year."
Though high schoolers aren't eligible and several high-profile European stars chose not to make themselves available, some still believe there is adequate talent available.
"Because there's no real consensus No. 1 guy it's easy to say this isn't a good draft, but I think that's a copout," said David Fredman, the Denver Nuggets' assistant general manager. "There's going to be some good players who end up playing. You find guys playing in the Finals who didn't get drafted, so that's our challenge."
The nature of this year's draft class portends a lot of wheeling and dealing before, during and after.
"Every team tries to package and move up," said Mike D'Antoni, the Phoenix Suns' coach and vice president. "I don't think there's one clear-cut kind of player, so look for teams to hop around a bit. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
Presti does not rule out trading into the first round for a "target group" of players. He believes the nature of this draft will produce more draft-night deals than most.
"From the time the first pick is selected until the last pick is called, there are going to be a number of trades," Presti said. "That will impact the way this falls."