BY FRANK BURLISON FOXSports.com May. 9, 2002 8:00 p.m. The Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls have the best statistical chance of landing the No. 1 selection with the NBA hold it's draft lottery May 19 in Secaucus, N.J. The Bulls and Warriors tied for the worst record in the league this season (21-61) and could certainly use the help a No. 1 choice could provide. FOXSports.com's Frank Burlison takes a look at the players the lottery teams are likely to be considering with this first stab at a projected lottery: NBA Draft Lottery Projection Rank Player Height School 1 Yao Ming 7-5 China Comment: Will fear of potential Chinese-imposed sanctions limiting his off-season availability to scare some away? 2 Jason Williams 6-1 Duke (Jr.) Comment: Be it "Jason" or "Jay," he's a solid choice to go 1 or 2. 3 Mike Dunleavy 6-9 Duke (Jr.) Comment: Should he remain in the draft, the leader of the "Next Generation of Big Guards" will bypass a solid shot at winning John R. Wooden Award next April. 4 Drew Gooden 6-10 Kansas (Jr.) Comment: Could drop a couple of notches if someone falls in love with 6-11 Nicholoz Tskitishivili, who is from Georgia (the former republic of the Soviet Union) and plays professionally in Italy. 5 Curtis Borchardt 7-0 Stanford (Jr.) Comment: Unless Chris Marcus overwhelms people in workouts, Borchardt is on target to be the first center selected. 6 Caron Butler 6-6 1/2 Connecticut (So.) Comment: Is in Los Angeles, working out in preparation for his June 26 Green Room appearance. Will move up at least one slot if Dunleavy isn't in the draft. 7 Amare Stoudemire 6-9 Cypress Creek HS, Orlando, Fl. Comment: Will someone overlook his lack of fundamentals and be enticed by his abundance of size, speed, explosiveness and determination this early? 8 Chris Wilcox 6-10 Maryland (So.) Comment: Individual workouts could enable him to move up to perhaps as high as No. 6. 9 Jared Jeffries 6-10 Indiana (So.) Comment: His wiry frame won't scare too many folks off for very long on draft night. 10 Dajuan Wagner 6-1 1/2 Memphis (Fr.) Comment: Lots of varied opinions on this guy; some say as early as No. 5 ... others think bottom of lottery. 11 Chris Marcus 7-0 Western Kentucky (Sr.) Comment: A season stunted by broken foot means scouts will want longer than usual looks at individual workouts. 12 Qyntel Woods 6-8 1/2 N.E. Mississippi JC (So.) Comment: Many scouts believe he has the best pure "small forward" skills in the draft pool, others feel he is a risk as a lottery choice. 13 Melvin Ely 6-10 Fresno State (Sr.) Comment: He's easily the most polished post player in this draft crop. Notes The order of the lottery (1-13) selections will be determined by the NBA on May 19. Kareem Rush (6-6, Jr., Missouri), Marcus Haislip (6-10, Jr., Tennessee) and non-U.S. players Tskitshivili and Bostijan Nachbar (6-8, a native of Slovenia playing professionally in Italy) are the others most often projected as potential lottery choices.
ESPN RATINGS http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/index Player Class Pos. School Stock 1. Yao Ming 21 C China Size and skill give him edge over 'Jay' for now. 2. Jay Williams Jr. PG Duke Won't fall any further and here until June 26. 3. Caron Butler So. SF UConn Stock continues to soar even after NCAA Tournament. 4. Drew Gooden Jr. PF Kansas Bit of a tweener, but has ability to score inside and out. 5. Mike Dunleavy Jr. SF Duke Could climb as high as No. 3, but won't fall out of top 10. 6. Chris Wilcox So. PF Maryland An unfinished product, but NBA teams covet his potential. 7. Curtis Borchardt Jr. C Stanford Health only question surrounding best U.S. center. 8. Dajuan Wagner Fr. SG Memphis As productive a player as there is in the draft. 9. Nikoloz Tskitishvili 19 SF Georgian Be sure to follow this amazing story over next month. 10. Qyntel Woods So. SF NE Miss.CC Scouts consider him one of the best athletes in the draft. 11. Jared Jeffries So. SF Indiana The most tenuous of the potential lottery players. 12. Maybyner Hilario 19 SF Brazil Versatility and potential offset by his sticky contract. 13. Marcus Haislip Jr. PF Tennessee Scouts either "love 'em or hate 'em" right now.
THE SPORTING NEWS http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/sean_deveney/20020423a.html NBA draft preview: Duke's Williams is No. 1 April 24, 2002 Print it Not all is settled quite yet in the realm of the NBA draft, but a few of the formalities were taken care of last week when Chinese center Yao Ming, Kansas junior Drew Gooden, Maryland sophomore Chris Wilcox and Memphis freshman Dajuan Wagner declared themselves eligible for the draft. Another who threw himself in: Brazilian forward Nene Hilario, who, according to scouts, could be a lottery pick. There are others who could put their names in and alter the draft. Duke's Mike Dunleavy is probably staying in college but would be a lottery pick if he came out. There's also 6-11 teenager Nickoloz Tskitishvili, whose agent says he'll go to the NBA if he is a top-10 pick. He could very well be. Western Kentucky center Chris Marcus has not officially declared for the draft---he is a senior with a fifth year of eligibility---but he is expected to make it official soon. A few high school players could also declare (Lenny Cooke, Carmelo Anthony, DeAngelo Collins, Sani Ibrahim), but they are fringe first-rounders, at best. It will all be settled by 11:59 p.m. on May 12, but here's what we have got so far: Rank Player Position Ht. Class From 1. Jason Williams PG 6-2 Jr. Duke Comment: If the Bulls get the No. 1 overall pick, Williams will make a nice fit. He can score, defend and run an offense---exactly what Chicago needs. 2. Yao Ming C 7-6 -- China Comment: He is still an unknown, but those who have seen him rave about his combination of size, athleticism and shooting. He is a possible No. 1 overall pick. 3. Drew Gooden PF 6-10 Jr. Kansas Comment: Already big, but his frame can handle more weight without losing his athleticism. Great post scorer and shows a lot of heart. 4. Qyntel Woods SF 6-9 So. NE Mississippi CC Comment: Terrific athlete, long frame. Draws comparisons to Tracy McGrady. 5. Caron Butler SF 6-7 So. Connecticut Comment: Strong rebounder who developed a reliable jumper this season. Versatile---can play in the post or run the floor. 6. Chris Wilcox PF 6-10 So. Maryland Comment: Big, full body, huge wingspan. He is still raw offensively, but has potential and athleticism. 7. Dajuan Wagner PG 6-3 Fr. Memphis Comment: Jitterbug guard must prove in workouts that he can run the point in the NBA. 8. Chris Marcus C 7-1 Sr. Western Kentucky Comment: Definitely a project, but he has size. Has not played much competitive basketball. Like any raw big man, must develop a go-to post move and keep himself out of foul trouble. 9. Kareem Rush SG 6-6 Jr. Missouri Comment: Solid offensive player with a good outside shot. He was streaky this year and his stock dropped some, but he is still a proven scorer. 10. Jared Jeffries SF 6-10 So. Indiana Comment: Absolutely must put on weight. Rail thin. But a smart player, good rebounder and good post passer. 11. Melvin Ely PF 6-10 Sr. Fresno State Comment: Can jump and change a lightbulb before he lands. Great shotblocker, very aggressive defensively, adequate offensively. 12. Nene Hilario PF 6-10 -- Brazil Comment: Only 19, Hilario declared for the draft and should be a lottery pick -- the only thing keeping him back is that he has a pro contract through next year. Played very well against the Americans in the Goodwill Games in Australia. 13. Amare Stoudemire PF 6-10 -- Cypress Creek HS Comment: Big, thick, but very athletic and unstoppable in the post. Great body control for his size. No jumpshot, but hey, he's 18. 14. Frank Williams PG 6-3 Jr. Illinois Comment: Inconsistency this year cost him a high draft spot. Not an overwhelming athlete, but a tough defender and good leader. 15. Curtis Borchardt C 7-0 Jr. Stanford Comment: Can rebound and block shots, but, most important, is a good shooter. Smart player. Foot injuries that hobbled him early in his career are a concern, and, naturally, so is footspeed. 16. Luis Scola PF 6-9 -- Spain Comment: Big, burly forward. Good rebounder and can score near the basket. One scout compares him to P.J. Brown. 17. Marcus Haislip PF 6-10 Jr. Tennessee Comment: He'll be a project, still needs a lot of work on both ends. For his size, he is a great athlete -- but not very much else. 18. Dan Gadzuric C 6-11 Sr. UCLA Comment: Still a baffling prospect. Smart player, good athlete, good shooter, but scouts are concerned about his mental approach. Looks smooth on the defensive end, but looks robotic on offense. He is 24 already. Could jump way up or slip way down depending on his workouts. 19. Frederick Jones SG 6-4 Sr. Oregon Comment: Best leaper and most exciting player in the draft. Can get to the rim, but some question his ballhandling. Could make a big splash during predraft workouts. 20. Roger Mason PG 6-5 Jr. Virginia Comment: Smart, solid player who could be plugged right into an NBA team as a backup combo guard. Not a lot of upside, what you see is what you get, but what you see is pretty darned good. 21. Jamal Sampson C 6-11 Fr. California Comment: Perhaps the biggest project in the draft. Across the board, scouts wish he had spent another year in college. But he is big and can block shots, and could shoot all the way into the lottery if a team wants to take a chance on his potential. 22. Jiri Welsch PG/SG 6-6 -- Czech Republic Comment: Interesting prospect, especially if he can handle the point at his size. Has a reliable shot from the perimeter, can handle the ball and works hard defensively. 23. Marcus Taylor PG 6-3 So. Michigan State Comment: Learns quickly, and could step right in and contribute at this level. Not a downtown threat, but has 15-17 foot range on his jumpers. 24. Carlos Boozer PF 6-9 Jr. Duke Comment: A pure power forward, nothing more, nothing less. Big body and good footwork. But does not have much speed and is not much of a finisher. He seems to wear out over the course of games. 25. Tayshaun Prince SF 6-9 Sr. Kentucky Comment: Tremendous wingspan, but built like a fencepost. He can help a team in need of scoring, and Denver will pick in this spot thanks to the deadline trade with Dallas. The Nugs need scoring. 26. Jason Jennings C 7-0 Sr. Arkansas State Comment: Tough call here. He's a limited athlete but has a solid, textbook post game. Has not played against tough competition, though. 27. Juan Carlos Navarro PG 6-4 -- Spain Comment: Good shooter and good friend of the Grizzlies' Pau Gasol. Has bounced between the 1 and the 2, but NBA teams will want to use him at the point. 28. Bostjan Nachbar SF 6-8 -- Slovenia Comment: Would be a lottery pick, but he has a big contract with his European team. Still, this will be Sacramento's pick, and the Kings are not averse to taking chances. Sean Deveney is a staff writer for The Sporting News. Email him at sdeveney@Sportingnews.com. more from The Sporting News EXPERT Sports Bahr Playoff formats EXPERT Tom Dienhart Miami's new-look offensive line wants name of its own EXPERT Mike Sullivan Recruiting Dish: Quinn has been giving St. Thomas more for years
collegebasketballnews mock draft http://collegebasketballnews.theinsiders.com/2/46009.html Projected NBA Draft Lottery Picks By Chris Monter Date: May 10, 2002 The deadline for underclassmen to enter the NBA Draft is not until May 12th, but here is my projected look at the NBA lottery. Plenty will change as the draft is still more than two months aways. Underclassmen and foreign players who have not declared for the NBA Draft are not included in this mock draft. #` PLAYER SCHOOL/COUNTRY POSITION 1 Yao Ming China C 2 Jason Williams Duke PG 3 Drew Gooden Kansas PF 4 Mike Dunleavy Duke SF 5 Qyntel Woods Northeast Mississippi (MS) CC SF 6 Caron Butler Connecticut SF 7 Dajuan Wagner Memphis PG 8 Chris Wilcox Maryland PF 9 Curtis Borchardt Stanford C 10 Jared Jeffries Indiana SF 11 Amare Stoudemire Orlando (FL) Cypress Creek HS PF 12 Chris Marcus Western Kentucky C 13 Kareem Rush Missouri SF
