Lottery scrambles top of draft
posted: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 | Feedback

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Now that we know the draft order, how is the top of the draft really going to play out?

My first mock draft went up Tuesday night with one scenario. You have been sending in your own via our Mock Draft Machine.

Here at the lottery, I spoke on Tuesday night with the three main players in the draft to get their take. Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo and Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson talked to me before and after the draft lottery about their plans. Charlotte Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff, who wasn't here, spoke with me on the phone after the lottery to give me his thoughts.

Here's what the guys with the top three picks in the draft are saying.

The theme of the night? Our picks are for sale.

Raptors: I predicted the Raptors would take Andrea Bargnani No. 1. For those of you writing in and saying there's no way Colangelo would do that, here was his response.

"He's clearly a candidate for the No. 1 pick," Colangelo said after finding out he won the lottery. "He was before the Raptors got the No. 1 pick and he continues to be."

The circumstantial evidence that Colangelo might select Bargnani is strong: He has (a) heavily scouted Bargnani the past two years, (b) been one of his Bargnani's biggest fans for a while, (c) shown when at Phoenix that he is very open to international players and (d) been in the process of wooing Bargnani's boss, Benetton GM Maurizio Gherardini, to the Raptors.

Colangelo, however, said both before and after that rumors that he's made up his mind about Bargnani or anything else are inaccurate.

"We have some real holes at point guard and center," Colangelo said. "But I'm not sure the way to fill them is in the draft. I don't think there's an impact player at those positions, so we might not address our weaknesses in the draft. We're not good enough to draft around the young players we have. What you have to do is draft the best player in the draft and worry about things like positions later. We've got to keep the focus on both the short and the long term and the draft is really about the long term."

Colangelo said there is a good possibility they'll use trades and their cap flexibility this summer (roughly $13 to $15 million, depending on what the cap is) to address their needs at center and point guard.

"We have a nice young core," Colangelo said. "Do we really want to add more young players? I think we need to add some good veterans to the mix right now."

With that said, Colangelo made it clear that the ability to trade the pick was one of his greatest assets.

"What getting the No. 1 pick does," Colangelo said, "is allow you to control your destiny. We might be willing to make a deal to get more assets -- either multiple picks or cap flexibility. Or it guarantees that we get the guy we want in the draft."

Several times Colangelo mentioned six players -- Bargnani, Tyrus Thomas, LaMarcus Aldridge, Adam Morrison, Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay -- when asked by media members who were the top players under consideration.

Some have speculated that Aldridge could play center in the NBA and therefore might go to the Raptors. But the scouts I've talked to see Aldridge as a four, not a five. Likewise, before the lottery, Colangelo pegged Aldridge as a power forward, one who reminded him of someone already on Toronto's roster -- Chris Bosh.

What do I think will happen?

I believe the Raptors will work out all six players, but in the end I think they'll either trade the pick or draft Bargnani and then try to work a deal that packages Charlie Villanueva and cap space for a high-quality point guard or center.

Chicago Bulls: Paxson also sounded like a man who wanted to keep his options open.

While the word around the league is that Paxson prefers Tyrus Thomas, he, too, said before and after the draft that he hadn't made up his mind yet and "had a lot of work to do."

Why Thomas? Wouldn't Aldridge do more to fill the need for an interior scorer?

Paxson wouldn't say, but I think that one issue with Aldridge is heart. Aldridge is very talented, but has the rep of being a little on the soft side. He's a great kid who might lack the killer instinct. Thomas, on the other hand, is rawer, but with the heart of a lion. That fits perfectly into the type of team Paxson and Chicago coach Scott Skiles are trying to build.

Another option is a trade.

"We have to ask and answer the question, are we too young?" Paxson said. "We're ready as an organization to take this team to the next level. We've been in the playoffs two straight years and have to think about how to start winning in the playoffs. I'm not sure there's anyone in this draft that significantly improves us."

Like the Raptors, the Bulls will have a lot of cap room to deal -- between $17 and $19 million depending on where the cap is. The Bulls could package the pick and a young prospect for a high-priced, All-Star-level player.

Or they might select Thomas and use Tyson Chandler as trade bait this summer.

Bobcats: About an hour after the lottery, I spoke to Bickerstaff, the Charlotte GM/coach.

The Bobcats had rotten luck last year when they slipped from No. 2 to No. 5 in the draft lottery -- pushing them out of position to draft either of their two top-rated players, Marvin Williams and Chris Paul.

This year the lottery treated them better, and Bickerstaff was relieved.

"I think we're in a great spot," he said. "I'm relieved. I think we're in a pivital spot in the draft this year … a little bit like Portland was last year."

Bickerstaff said that the team is still too young to really be drafting for needs.

Bickerstaff was vague about which way he was leaning. When asked about Aldridge and Thomas, he said, "If the guys with size are there, you always have to look at it. We've gone that way the past couple of drafts, but you can never have enough."

I have them taking Adam Morrison at No. 3 in my mock draft, but that might be wrong.

Bickerstaff implied Morrison might not fit with his plans.

"I'm looking to add talent," Bickerstaff said, "preferably versatile players who can play multiple positions on the floor."

The Bobcats need someone who can put the ball in the hole, and Morrison might be a quick fix -- he's older and more advanced offensively than some of the other top prospects. But Bickerstaff might not be convinced that Morrison has an advantage.

"I'm not sure he's going to be a great scorer coming out of the gate," Bickerstaff said. "He's got a chance. But it's a different game in the NBA. He's going to have to make a lot of adjustments."

Maybe Andrea Bargnani?

"I think he's in the mix for the No. 1 pick," Bickerstaff said. "I just got back from Italy watching him. He can really shoot it and he's got a great first step."

Brandon Roy?

"He'd be a good fit, too," Bickerstaff said. "He's more ready to play then some of them and he's a guy who probably won't hurt you down the road."

Or maybe it's Rudy Gay?

"I think people have been a little hard on Rudy," Bickerstaff said. "I still think he's in the mix. He's got the right size, athleticism and work ethic."

After going through all those options, Bickerstaff said he too might want to move his pick.

"I think that there are a lot of guys in the draft that could help a team," Bickerstaff said. "We need to add talent. If we decide to move back, it might be to get a couple of picks. That's a possibility."

do you think the Raptors would be interested in Marbury? He and Bosh on the p & r would be lethal. Maybe something like Calderon or James and the pick for Marbury and Butler with the Raps eating the cap space.