And the first pick in the NBA draft is . . .
Would you make up your mind, Bryan!
Same old stuff with Canada. Too wishy-washy.
Why can’t they be like us–decisive even if we don’t get it right?
Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo has the No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft and is expected to select Andrea Bargnani of Italy, who isn’t anywhere near the best player in a watered-down European game.
Does that make sense to anyone?
No, and as the draft rushes in, there were rumors the Raptors would take Texas center LaMarcus Aldridge.
But then Jorge Garbajosa, a 6-foot-8-inch forward from Spain, confirmed Tuesday he will sign with the Raptors this summer. That apparently makes Bargnani unnecessary, and rumors switched to the Raptors taking the best perimeter athlete, Connecticut’s Rudy Gay.
All of the rumors matter because the ultimate outcome will affect what everyone else will do–especially the Bulls, who have the second pick.
They could be in an advantageous position because they don’t seem to be too interested in Bargnani or Gay.
But what if Aldridge and LSU forward Tyrus Thomas, the two big men they have watched most of the college season, both are available?
For the most part, the Bulls have assumed one would be taken first and they would get the other. That’s OK with them: Aldridge is bigger with more of an offensive game while Thomas is the better athlete. The guess is the Bulls would go for Thomas, who’s considered to have a better chance to be a star.
Of course, the Bulls could trade the pick for a veteran.
Thomas may be the guy to have three years from now, but he’s perhaps the least ready for the NBA of consensus top picks Aldridge, Bargnani, Thomas, Gay, Brandon Roy and Adam Morrison. Do the Bulls have the patience to develop a young talent after the way they played the NBA champion Heat in the first round of the playoffs? Maybe they think they could make a run at the Eastern Conference title with a tweak here and a shooter there combining with their maturing core.
Also, Tyson Chandler’s name has come up in rumors involving forwards Shawn Marion of the Suns, Carlos Boozer of the Jazz and Marcus Camby of the Nuggets.
Chandler could have a better season with his contract secure and his marriage and baby providing stability. But there’s a question as to whether he can reach his potential in Chicago given his attachment to the last regime and the kind of pick-and-roll perimeter shooting game the Bulls like to play. While trading Chandler could leave the Bulls small for now, they should be able to get a big man such as Drew Gooden, Nene, Joel Przybilla, Ben Wallace or Nazr Mohammed in free agency. And next year’s draft, when they can switch picks with the Knicks, is looking like one of the best for big men in years.
The talk late Tuesday involved Golden State looking to unload some long-term contracts so it can resign Mickael Pietrus. The Warriors are willing to deal former Notre Damer Troy Murphy and the No. 9 pick for the Bulls’ No. 2 and 16 picks. Murphy would give the Bulls a perimeter big man who can shoot and open the floor for Chandler. The ninth pick would give them a shot at a big guard like 6-7 Ronnie Brewer of Arkansas or a big man like Connecticut’s Hilton Armstrong. It was the hottest rumor on draft eve, though probably not likely.
That prospect was just one of perhaps a dozen rumored deals with most general managers believing Allen Iverson will be moved, possibly to Charlotte or Memphis. There was talk the Celtics were looking to deal their pick at No. 7 for a point guard and Bulls backup Chris Duhon has been mentioned.
Many still expect Toronto to trade down from the top pick. Bargnani could fall to the bottom of the top 10 and the Raptors could get him at No. 4, where Portland is said to be anxious about getting Morrison, or No. 8, where Houston isn’t likely to get Roy.
The Raptors would like Bargnani without the pressure he would have as the top pick. The attention No. 1 gets has hurt the careers of immature players such as Kwame Brown.
The rumor mill is spinning everywhere:
Phoenix is shopping Marion, and the Bulls have been mentioned as one destination. But the Suns really would like to move him to Seattle for Rashard Lewis. The SuperSonics aren’t sure they can re-sign Lewis after next season when he can become a free agent, and the Suns have budget issues in trying to re-sign free agents such as Tim Thomas and players coming up for extensions such as Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw. The Suns are concerned about bringing back Marion after so much trade talk, but they also are fearful of dealing him because Amare Stoudemire still is recovering from knee surgery.
Things around the NBA draft don’t get any clearer the more they are discussed.
The Bobcats, at No. 3, were believed to be leaning toward Gay over Morrison. But then Michael Jordan entered the picture and it has been made clear he will make the selection.
Would Jordan go for a guy he thinks he still could dunk on all the time (Morrison)? We think not.
Jordan is a gambler and likes the big-risk/big-reward scenario, which was the talk about Brown in 2001 when he took him for Washington. Jordan might try to trade up to No. 1 with Brevin Knight as bait so the Raptors could pick Thomas and also get the point guard they need. Of course the Raptors also could trade down to No. 4 and get point guard Jarrett Jack, who played with Chris Bosh at Georgia Tech, back from the Blazers.
Jordan took a lot of heat for taking Brown, so he might opt for the immediate improvement the Bobcats would make with perhaps the safest player in this draft, Roy? After all, Jordan knows you can go somewhere with a talented shooting guard.
See why this is so confusing?
The one slam-dunk pick seems to be Duke’s Shelden Williams to the Hawks at No. 5. But why would the Hawks take him there when it seems likely he would fall several places if they traded down? And what if someone such as Aldridge slips through unexpectedly? The Rockets, also in search of Roy, say they have no deal to move up from eighth and Atlanta downplayed the idea of taking on ex-Illini guard Luther Head in any trade.
If Aldridge and Bargnani don’t go to the Raptors and/or Bulls, how far do they fall? Bargnani could take the biggest tumble. The Raptors could jump in and buy a pick for $3 million from a team that doesn’t want to add another rookie, perhaps Boston at No. 7. The Sonics, with no desperate need for a position player, also have a pick in play, perhaps for purchase. Or they could move down to a team with multiple picks–the Hornets at 12 and 15 and Nets at 22 and 23 are trying to move up.
The Celtics have been exploring every notable veteran available, which is why they are believed to have held onto Paul Pierce.
Much like it was in 1989 when Stacey King was about to go No. 1 but instead fell to the Bulls at No. 6, Aldridge could take a tumble to Minnesota at No. 6 or maybe even Golden State at No. 9. The success of the perimeter players in the playoffs has made several, such as Morrison, Gay, Roy, and even Randy Foye and Brewer, that much more appealing.
“People say this isn’t a good draft, but it is and there will be some very good players from it,” one general manager said. “It’s just that there’s no certain No. 1 guy and as much confusion at the top of this draft as we’ve seen for years.”
That goes for the middle too.
That’s where a number of big men are expected to go. Remember the maxim about the draft always has been, “If you are going to make a mistake, make it big.”
Perhaps too many teams have made mistakes on raw big guys. And we can name one here in Chicago a few years back.
But once the premier talent is exhausted, and it’s rarely beyond six or seven picks, teams begin going for the best of the big guys, which in this draft seem to be N.C. State’s Cedric Simmons, Bradley’s Patrick O’Bryant and Armstrong.
You have all that?
Round 2 draft order
%%
31. Portland
32. Houston
33. Atlanta
34. Clippers
35. Toronto
36. Boston
37. Minnesota
38. Golden State
39. Milwaukee
40. Seattle
41. Orlando
42. Cleveland
43. New Orleans
44. Orlando
45. Indiana
46. Utah
47. Utah
48. Washington
49. Denver
50. Charlotte
51. Lakers
52. Clippers
53. Seattle
54. New Jersey
55. Cleveland
56. Toronto
57. Minnesota
58. Dallas
59. San Antonio
60. Detroit
%%
%%
%%
———-
sasmith@tribune.com
ON THE NET: Follow the draft with instant analysis from Sam Smith at www.chicagosports.com
