Prospects Aren’t Bad for Teams in Draft

This spring’s annual salute to the NCAA tournament is especially timely with both of the local pro teams headed for the lottery.

At the moment, the Lakers are looking at the No. 13 pick and the Clippers at No. 11. Unfortunately, this draft drops sharply after No. 4.

Picks five to 10 are a mystery, with about 15 players who could go in there. On the plus side, it’s a deep draft and everyone on this list is a real prospect.

Only players who will be 18 by draft day are included. Otherwise, Greg Oden, the 6-foot-11 high school junior from Indianapolis, would be No. 1 or 2 and Yi Jianlin of China would be on the list.

Thanks to the six personnel people who helped me. Here’s how it went:

1. Andrew Bogut, 7-0, 242 pounds, sophomore, Utah. Everyone’s top pick. Looked good as a freshman but really took off this season. An Australian of Croatian descent, he’s strong enough to be a center with a very high skill level. Plays in the post, has shooting range and is an outstanding passer.

2. Marvin Williams, 6-9, 230, freshman, North Carolina. Rarely gets the ball with Coach Roy Williams hoping to keep him around one more season, anyway. May grow into a power forward but has skills to play small forward.

3. Chris Paul, 5-11, 175, sophomore, Wake Forest. Efficient young point guard who plays within himself, doesn’t turn the ball over and shoots better than 50% on three-pointers.

4. Rudy Gay, 6-8, 220, freshman, Connecticut. Athletic, all-around wing player who defends. Shooting 47% on three-pointers.

5. Fran Vasquez, 6-10, 230, Malaga, Spain. Most European prospects are 18 or 19 and barely played at the top level. He’s 21 and further along.

6. Adam Morrison, 6-8, 220, sophomore, Gonzaga. So old school, he could have stepped out of a time machine. Larry Bird comparisons are a bit much, but he really can handle and shoot. Not much from long range yet (32% on three-point shots), so he can get even better.

7. Deron Williams, 6-3, 205, junior, Illinois. Needs a big finish to stay this high. Chunky body but can run a team.

8. Hakim Warrick, 6-8, 220, senior, Syracuse. Zooming up charts as pros get over his skinny body, watching him explode off the floor.

9. Martynas Andriuskevicius, 7-3, 240, Zalgiris Kaunas, Lithuania. Was supposed to be top five but with his twiggy body, has a long way to go. Has skills, so someone will take him.

10. Gerald Green, 6-7, 210, Houston Gulf Shores Academy. Major athlete.

11. Martell Webster, 6-6, 230, Seattle Prep. Signed with Washington, compared to no less than Paul Pierce.

12. Monta Ellis, 6-3, 175, Jackson (Miss.) Lanier High. An explosive scoring point guard.

13. J.J. Redick, 6-4, 190, junior, Duke. One of the great shooters to come out of college ball. Only at 42% on three-pointers because he forces a lot, but he scores 23 a game and carries a top team. Looks like a nice Clipper to me.

14. Charlie Villanueva, 6-11, 240, sophomore, Connecticut. On size and talent, he’d be top five. Has come a long way from the 2003 McDonald’s game, when he complained LeBron James was getting all the attention. Maturity may be an issue for another decade or two.

15. Wayne Simien, 6-9, 255, senior, Kansas. If he really were 6-9, he’d be higher.

16. Danny Granger, 6-8, 225, senior, New Mexico. Late bloomer coming fast.

17. Ersan Ilyasova, 6-9, 210, Ulker Istanbul, Turkey. Some scouts say this 17-year-old is the most talented player in Europe.

18. Josh McRoberts, 6-10, 240, Carmel (Ind.) High. Signed with Duke but could come out if he gets in lottery. It’s always fun when one of Mike Krzyzewski’s collection of McDonald’s All-Americans goes pro.

19. Rashad McCants, 6-3, 210, junior, North Carolina -- Says a general manager: “Probably a lottery pick, but definitely a psycho.”

20. Tiago Splitter, 6-11, 236, Tau Vittoria, Spain. Hard-working 20-year-old but not a great athlete.

21. Nemanja Aleksandrov, 6-10, 210, KK Reflex, Serbia. Still just 17, but a scout says talent is “off the charts.”

22. Antoine Wright, 6-7, 205, junior, Texas A&M.; Young man from San Bernardino who just popped up on radar screens. Averaged 24 in last six games, going 25 for 43 on three-pointers.

23. Jarrett Jack, 6-3, 200, junior, Georgia Tech. Big point guard who keeps improving.

24. Rudy Fernandez, 6-5, 180, Joventut Badalona. Exciting shooting guard but a skinny one.

25. Ray Felton, 6-0, 194, junior, North Carolina. Has tremendous speed and shot 44% on three-pointers, but just an OK playmaker.

26. Josh Boone, 6-10, 237, sophomore, Connecticut. Isn’t a star but plays hard.

27. Chris Taft, 6-10, 260, sophomore, Pitt. With his size and athleticism, he was in the top three before the season but slept through it.

28. Joey Graham, 6-7, 225, senior, Oklahoma State. Athletic late-bloomer.

29. Johan Petro, 7-0, 260, Pau Orthez, France. Big, athletic but doesn’t play hard.

30. Ike Diogu, 6-8, 255, junior, Arizona State. Productive but 6-7. Starting to take his game away from the basket, even makes the occasional three-pointer.

Right there: Kennedy Winston, 6-6, 230, senior, Alabama; Shelden Williams, 6-9, 250, junior, Duke; Francisco Garcia, 6-7, 190, junior, Memphis; Sean May, 6-9, 260, junior, North Carolina; Channing Frye, 6-11, 248, senior, Arizona; Darius Washington, 6-2, 195, freshman, Memphis; Daniel Gibson, 6-2, 190, freshman, Texas; Louis Williams, 6-0, 180, Snellville (Ga.) South Gwinnett High; Ronny Turiaf, 6-9, 243, senior, Gonzaga; David Lee, 6-9, 240, senior, Florida; Nate Robinson, 5-9, 181, junior, Washington; Dee Brown, 6-0, 180, junior, Illinois; Dijon Thompson, 6-8, 209, senior, UCLA.

Faces and Figures

Not quite the same, eh? New Orlando General Manager John Weisbrod, trying to prove his NHL background applies to the NBA, is watching one move after another backfire, starting with his decision to keep overmatched interim coach Johnny Davis, insisting, “He gets it.” Last week, the Magic fell out of the No. 8 slot, there was an ugly scene with Stacey Augmon cursing reporters and spraying them with lotion and Davis got it in the neck when Weisbrod fired him.

The next question for Weisbrod will be about trading Tracy McGrady for Steve Francis (another problem child), Cuttino Mobley (who’s gone) and Kelvin Cato and his $9-million salary. The new interim coach, Chris Jent, just moved Francis back to point guard, because Steve-O was in a funk after being moved to shooting guard. To do that, Jent benched Jameer Nelson, who was averaging 15 points and shooting more than 50% as a starter this month. This means Orlando now joins the Lakers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers, who are all on hold for Phil Jackson. “Phil is very neutral now,” his agent, Todd Musburger, told the Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi. “If the Magic call him, I’m sure he would listen.” ... Jackson goes to Disney World? Not in this lifetime but perhaps in another.

Defense wins, but this is ridiculous: The Pistons went 0-15 from the floor in the fourth quarter last week but beat Utah, 64-62.... It’s still a mystery in Philadelphia how Chris Webber forgot how to play. Hint: Run the offense through him, as the Kings did, rather than through Allen Iverson, who’s good enough to get the ball late in the clock.... Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer and ESPN, who’s close to Iverson, blamed first-year Coach Jim O’Brien, asserting 76er players “cannot stand the man.” ... In other words, O’Brien will be doing well to make it back next season. With the team still paying off the last one-year coach, Randy Ayers, General Manager Billy King may be in trouble too.

Clipper dreams of landing one of the two big free-agent shooting guards, Ray Allen of Seattle and Michael Redd of Milwaukee, are longshots. Allen says he won’t go to the Clippers. Redd reportedly told the Bucks he would stay, which is why they didn’t trade him and made moves to save up the money to pay him.

Washington Wizard Coach Eddie Jordan, on the best way to guard Latrell Sprewell, who has been upset all season about his contract: “Tell him he’s underpaid.” ... In the nick of time: As promised, the New Jersey Nets’ Richard Jefferson had the cast taken off his broken left wrist ahead of schedule to be ready for their stretch run. Unfortunately, the team is plummeting. Jason Kidd is looking discouraged, raising the possibility he’ll try to force a trade -- again.... New Orleans Coach Byron Scott, on benching rookie J.R. Smith: “The one thing I’m not going to tolerate is attitude, especially from a 19-year-old. I’ve got kids older than him.”