I got it from realgm, so it isnt the greatest source, but still its worth looking at. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The No. 1 Priority After years of missing out on 1st pick in draft, Raptors set to make a point Raptors will be looking at UConn's Marcus Williams in upcoming NBA draft. We witnessed the dawn of a new era in the NBA this past week - and we're not talking about the dethroning of the San Antonio Spurs. For the first time in the Toronto Raptors' inglorious history, they won the draft lottery."Normally, we go backwards," said Jim Kelly, the team's long-time player personnel director. "We were just hoping we wouldn't lose ground, for once."Hey, everybody gets lucky once in a while. The Raptors were barred from getting the No. 1 pick when they came into the league in 1995 and have never drafted higher than No. 2 (Marcus Camby in 1996). But now they can accelerate their rebuilding campaign. With the draft bereft of a franchise player who can make an immediate impact - that comes next year with Indianapolis high schooler and Ohio State recruit Greg Oden, ineligible for this year's draft - the Raptors are prime candidates to trade the pick.They'd like to move down to No. 4, currently occupied by Portland, which owned the worst record this season and came up the big lottery loser. Gonzaga's Adam Morrison would help Portland turn around its fortunes, on and off the court. But Morrison probably won't be available at No. 4, so the Raptors might have themselves a trading partner. If Toronto can get a pick in next year's draft, already being touted as better than this June's, that would be ideal. "There's no clear-cut No. 1 player this year, and if you asked three or four teams who they'd take at No. 1, you might get three or four different answers," Kelly said. "So we expect some action if we decide to move it."At this early stage, Toronto doesn't know how far it will move down. But the Raptors are sending out strong signals that they'd like to get UConn's point guard Marcus Williams. The best pure point in this draft, Williams has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson, but is considered faster than the ex-Knick.The new man in charge in Toronto, Bryan Colangelo, wants a playmaker who looks to distribute the ball first to Chris Bosh and Williams' ex-UConn teammate Charlie Villanueva. Incumbent Mike James, a free agent, will be moving on this summer. So, unless it's a smokescreen, Williams is Toronto's leading choice to fill the role.The Raptors would even take Williams as high as No. 4, a reach on most other team's draft boards. But as the Suns' GM, Colangelo sometimes took players higher than other teams had them projected, most notably Shawn Marion, at No. 9 in 1999.The Bulls and Bobcats, drafting second and third, respectively, are set at point guard, with Kirk Hinrich and Raymond Felton. So they have no need for Williams."Williams isn't a jet like Chris Paul," said Kelly, referring to the Hornets' Rookie of the Year. "But he has good size and strength and he has a presence on the floor. He can deliver the ball to your big people. And he has a lot of big-game experience."The Raptors haven't played in many big games. But who knows? In this new era, they could find themselves back in the playoffs next season after a four-year hiatus.</div> What do you guys think? Gay should be the No. 1 pick for them imo, they're set with the big men, in Bosh and Villanueva. SG they have Morris Peterson, Joey Graham as the backup. PG they have Mike James, who's backup is Jose Calderon, who was doing great earlier in the year. Their weakest positions are SF and C. Not a lot of great Cs in this draft, Patrick O'Bryant and Shelden Williams really are only the big names. But it wouldnt be smart if they take either of them that early in the draft. Williams is a solid player, and expected to go into the lottery, but there are tons of PGs that can be found via trade or free agency.
I have to agree with you Zards, they should not be thinking about taking Williams before Gay, Gay is really what they need, a forward is what the raptors are missing as you said. Somone who can potentially average 20 or above points is another factor that the raptors can use (averaged 15 pts. and 6 rebounds in NCAA). Raps have gaurds, they should really think about what they are going to do with the first pick and not waste it on something htey don't need.
