Exploring more draft options for Utah Jazz at No. 25 Friday, June 15, 2007 11:27 AM CDT Chuck Nunn/Jazz Session When ESPN.com's Chad Ford broke the news that Ante Tomic was pulling out of the 2007 NBA Draft on account of problems with his Croatian team Zagreb, nobody was more bummed out by the news ─ except Tomic himself, I'm sure ─ than I was. While another season in Europe will benefit Tomic toward next summer's draft, he's almost a lock to go in the upper first round by then, which would quite likely put him out of reach for the Utah Jazz. So who is my next dream pick for Utah at No. 25 overall? Well, before Tomic had announced his early entry, I was leaning toward Spanish center Marc Gasol, younger brother to Memphis Grizzlies star Pau Gasol. With Tomic out, I'm projecting the younger Gasol to go to the Jazz at No. 25. Here's why. While Marc isn't quite the athlete that Pau is, he's been able to develop his own game as a powerful post presence on offense. As far as size and physical strength go, at 7-1 and 270 pounds, he is probably second only to Greg Oden in that category. Marc also has a soft touch with the basketball and has developed a wide array of post moves he can call on. He is also a good passer with excellent court vision. Defensively, Marc Gasol isn't a great shotblocker. But he's a strong post defender who can deny the low block, and he's a great position rebounder. Like 90 percent of the players in this draft, he has plenty of room for improvement. But by all accounts, his work ethic is fantastic, and his basketball smarts are quite advanced for a 22-year-old. But a lot of Jazz fans would like to see Utah draft a shooting guard, emphasis on the shooting. And while I believe that the opportunity to grab a good big man like Gasol, Aaron Gray, Kyle Visser or Nick Fazekas is too good to pass up, there are some good possibilities at the off-guard spot should the Jazz decide to go that route. I've already mentioned 6-8 swingman Dominic McGuire, who had a great camp in Orlando recently and could be a reasonable lower first round pick. McGuire is an aggressive rebounder who isn't afraid to attack the basket on offense or get after his man on defense. He also is solid on the perimeter, though not yet consistent at the NBA's 3-point range. Morris Almond, the 6-6, 214-pound shooting guard out of Rice, is being projected as a mid- to late first round pick. While I personally don't think Almond will be available by the time Utah picks at No. 25, if he is still available, he would be worthy of consideration. Almond is, without question, a scoring juggernaut. But unlike a lot of scoring guards, Almond is constantly on the lookout to keep his teammates involved. He was one of the top shooting guards in the NCAA this past season and is one of the more NBA-ready players in the draft. Another player who had been highly touted but has seen his stock fall to where he might be available at No. 25 is Italian shooting guard Marco Belinelli. Belinelli would provide Utah with something it doesn't really have ─ a player who can consistently create his own shot. Belinelli is an excellent ballhandler who can shoot off the dribble or attack the rim. His shooting range is fantastic, well out to 3-point range, and he has a quick release that gives defenders fits. Belinelli has quick hands on defense, and he has a reputation of having a good attitude and being very coachable. On the workout front, DraftExpress.com is reporting that Kyle Visser, the 6-11, 250-pound center out of Wake Forest, will be working out for Utah with Major Wingate on June 22. In addition to being an ACC guy ─ and Utah can't have too many of those for my taste ─ Visser is a player who has progressively gotten better in four seasons with the Demon Deacons, with nice touch on offense but also with strong hands and an appetite for physical play in the post. I'd still like to see Utah take Gasol, but Visser is a player with similar skills who has the potential to keep getting better. Utah is also said to be bringing in Creighton forward Anthony Tolliver in for a workout on June 21. Tolliver, at 6-9 and 242 pounds, is a solid all-around player who can shoot the ball out to 3-point range, is a great passer out of the high and low posts and is unafraid to mix it up inside. While his perimeter defense isn't that great, Tolliver is a solid post defender and a good rebounder when he applies himself. Tomorrow, we'll look again at the free agent situation and some of the available shooting guards Utah could go after, especially if they go big in the draft. Contact South Idaho Press sports editor Chuck Nunn at [email protected] or blog this column at www.southidahopress.com. http://www.southidahopress.com/articles/2007/06/15/sports/local/jazzsess.txt --

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