2003 Lottery Look

The 2003 SSBL Draft has arrived and word around the league is that it is the biggest drafts in years. Some have also called it the LeBron Sweepstakes. The winner of the #1 overall pick were the Boston Celtics. The Celtics finished with the 3rd worst record, but ended up being the ultimate winners. The Chicago Bulls had the worst record, and were rewarded with the 2nd overall pick. Lets take a quick look at what could happen come draft time.

The opinions represented in this mock are solely the opinions of the writers at the SSBL Times and should not be taken as a real look at what the draft will look like.

1. Boston Celtics

The Celtics are in a tough spot at #1. All sings point to them taking King James, but do they really need him? They currently have Caron Butler (drafted #2 last year) at the SF position. They could draft James and move Butler to the 2, but would that hurt the team chemistry? Butler is more of a SF and might see his production drop at the 2. The Celtics have over 20 million in cap room, so filling roster spots shouldn't be an issue come free agency time. We feel the Celtics should go with a safe pick and draft Georgia Tech big man Chris Bosh. Bosh adds instant height to the team and is young enough to blossom into a star player. Bosh will help Brendan Haywood down low. Bosh can score and could help Butler be a solid 1-2 punch for years to come. The Celtics could opt to nab James and move Butler to the 2. Either way, can they really lose?



2. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls will get the Celtics sloppy seconds. The Bulls are kicking themselves that they didn't land #1. If for some odd forsaken reason LeBron falls to them at 2, look for them to grab him here. Carmelo Anthony is another option here since he could be the 2nd best player from this draft class. They have some cap room, so landing a franchise player is a clear step in the right direction.

3. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors find themselves in a tough situation as well. If the Celtics nab Bosh, and the bulls grab Anthony, the Raptors don't think twice and grab James. They have Rahim at the 3, but he is more suited as a PF, so in comes James. James could help Rahim be the scoring options for this club. If the Raptors want to fill their SG need, they will nab Marquette standout Dwyane Wade. Another option here at #3 is Syracuse standout Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is a taller SF, but can score in a variety of ways. Whether the Raptors go with James, Wade or Anthony, look for them to be in a better situation then they were not too long ago.

4. New York Knicks

The Knicks need a SF. Sadly, the elite ones will be gone likely by their turn comes around. They currently have Kurt Thomas at SF, and it baffles us why. They could keep rolling with that plan and grab a PF. The best PF is Bosh, and if hes still on the board, look for the Knicks to grab him. He would be a nice player to really get your franchise going in the right direction. If Bosh is gone look for them to look at Memphis stud Amare Stoudemire.

5. Houston Rockets

The Rockets have one glaring weakness on paper, a PG. The PG class isn't as strong as it could be this year. The Rockets have plenty of cash to pay with, but look for them to fill that PF hole via the draft. In our opinion Kansas guard Kirk Hinrich looks to be a good bet. He can dish the rock and score as well. he plays solid defense, and the Rockets will like that from him.

6. Phoenix Suns

The Suns also have money to spend. Look for them to look at a few different players when their turn is up. Taking a quick look at their roster you can see they need some frontcourt help. The best PF available here could be Stoudemire. If Stoudemire is gone, they could look at Xavier PF David West. If they choose to go with some backcourt help, look for them to take a look at Ben Gordon or Kevin Martin. The Suns have different options to look forward to come draft time.

7. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors need help in a few positions They have back to back picks, so look for them to fill 2 different needs. If they go big with this pick, they could draft Central Michigan big Chris Kaman, Greek big Sofoklis Schortsanitis. Drafting Sofoklis this high could either hurt or help the Warriors., He is slated to stay overseas for one season. He could potentially be a good player to groom slowly for a couple years. If the Warriors decide to go small with this pick, they have some more options. If Hinrich is still on the board, he goes here. Ben Gordon or Kevin Martin could be other options here as well.

8. Golden State Warriors

Whatever direction the Warriors go with the above pick, dictates where they go with this selection. They could trade the pick and potentially get future 1sts or players as well.

9. New Jersey Nets

How the Nets were a lottery team is beyond me. They look on paper to be a very solid team. The only option we see the nets going is to draft the best available player. That player could be Hinrich, Martin Gordon or even Gilbert Arenas. They could also nab Kaman to backup Camby at the 5, since Camby is getting up there in age..

10. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors, like Golden State, own 2 lottery selections. We have the Raptors taking a forward early on, so look for them to address the backcourt here. Gilbert Arenas should be still available here and would fit in nicely on this squad. He can play either the PG or SG positions. He can score in bunches and handles the ball well too. If Arenas is gone, look for the Raptors to potentially go BPA here.

11. Utah Jazz

The Jazz find themselves in the lottery, this time not at #1. They are solid upfront, so they need a scorer. They have all the scoring come from the frontocurt, so a backcourt scorer is needed. Gilbert Arenas could be a great fit here. He could man the 2 spot and be a good running mate with French guard Tony Parker. If Ben Gordon slips this far, he could be another option. The jazz also have a good chunk of cash, so they could even think about grabbing BPA here, or even trade it as to save cap space.

12. Seattle Supersonics

The Sonics look like a very solid team. They lack some C help. Chris Kaman could be a good fit here. Another player that the Sonics could look at is Kendrick Perkins. Perkins is young and wouldn't be needed for a few years. He is solid on defense and the boards, something the Sonics specialize in. Another player the Supersonics could glance at is Alabama forward Gerald Wallace. Wallace is a defensive combo forward, who could help the Sonics sooner than later.

13. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers on paper, a mess. They have tons of cap space, so they should be able to rectify the problems instantly. They have the Clippers first, which is an added bonus. The Cavaliers could go in any direction and better their team. They glaring weakness is a true SG. Kevin Martin could be a fine selection here, if available. Another option is Brazilian SG Leandro Barbosa. Barbosa can score and pass the rock as well. Any way the Cavs go, is a positive one.