LSU Tigers' Tyrus Thomas (right) fights for the rebound with UCLA Bruins' Jordan Farmer during their semi-final basketball game at the men's NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis on April 1. Thomas is one of the candidates to be picked first at tomorrow's NBA Draft. - REUTERS
new York, (reuters)
ITALY'S ANDREA BARGNANI, known as "Il Mago" (the Magician), fellow-power forward Tyrus Thomas of Louisiana State and jump-shooting small forward Adam Morrison of Gonzaga are among the candidates to become the first pick in tomorrow's NBA Draft.
The draft at Madison Square Garden is wide open and full of intrigue with no consensus of the number one pick for the Toronto Raptors, who have high school, college and international prospects up for selection.
Some scouts rave about the athletic gifts of UConn small forward Rudy Gay, the overall talents of big forward LaMarcus Aldridge of Texas and swift guards Marcus Williams (UConn) and Brandon Roy (Washington), turning the top picks into a guessing game.
FIRST EUROPEAN
Bargnani, whose skills and long-range shooting talent have drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki, the giant three-point shooter who led the Dallas Mavericks to this year's NBA Finals, would be the first European ever made top choice.
Yao Ming, the huge Houston Rockets centre from China, was the only international player selected number one (2002) without playing any college basketball in the United States.
In the last eight years, 37 international players have been taken in the first round, including eight in the 2003 draft.
Toronto's recent front office hiring of Maurizio Gherardini, general manager from Bargnani's Italian team, Benetton, could be a clue that the sweet shooting, 20-year-old big man would be the Raptors' choice, but the club has been tight-lipped.
Last week the Raptors acquired centre Rasho Nesterovic from the Spurs in a move that might foreshadow plans to add a small man through the draft.
Uncertainty about who will be available for clubs selecting lower down the list could lead to trade action with veteran players included in moves changing a team's spot in the order.
The Chicago Bulls, through a trade last year with the New York Knicks, have the draft's second choice. Next up are the Charlotte Bobcats, Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks.
Selecting sixth are the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors with the Seattle Supersonics rounding out the top 10.
Other players expected to be taken in the first round include guards Randy Foye (Villanova) and Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas), forward Rodney Carney (Memphis) and centres Patrick O'Bryant (Bradley) and Mouhamed Saer Sene (Senegal).
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