Top draft prospect Martynas Andriuskevicius won't be playing at this year's annual NBA Pre-Draft camp which begins here Tuesday, but that doesn't mean he won't be showcasing his skills for the pro scouts.

Andriuskevicius, the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian considered a possible top 10 pick in the June 28 draft, will hold a private workout Thursday in Chicago for NBA clubs, according to his agent Herb Rudoy. There has been speculation that Andriuskevicius, whose stock appeared to be slipping over concerns about his thin frame, might withdraw his name from the draft. But Rudoy said that's not the case.

"We'll see what happens, but the plan right now is to keep him in the draft," Rudoy said. "We compare him to Zydrunas Ilgauskas at the same stage of his career. Ilgauskas weighed 215 pounds [when he was 19]. This kid is 235 and growing. He's getting bigger. He's got the right kind of frame. We think he'll be a top 10 pick."

While Andriuskevicius appears a safe bet to stay in the draft, fellow Rudoy client Tiago Splitter appears to be leaning the other way. Rudoy said a difficult buyout clause in Splitter's contract with his current pro team in Spain probably would cause the 6-11 power forward to withdraw his name from the June 28 draft. Splitter is regarded as one of the top power forward prospects in the field. The Knicks (No. 8), Warriors (No. 9) and Lakers (No. 10) were among the teams expected to take a serious look.

Posted by Knick2001:





[Edited by - knick2001 on 06/06/2005 22:22:29]