Bradley, 7-6, Might Be Cut Above Lottery Field

NEW YORK — Rick Majerus, coach at the University of Utah, has a warning for the 11 teams in today’s NBA draft lottery:

“The biggest mistake since not drafting Michael Jordan would be passing on Shawn Bradley.”

The 7-foot-6 Bradley, who set the NCAA freshman shot-blocking record for Brigham Young two years ago, then went on a Mormon mission to Australia. Rather than return to school for another year or two of developing his game, Bradley chose to play in the NBA.

“He’s not just a shot-blocker,” said Don Nelson, Golden State’s general manager and coach. “He’s got great hands, he can pass, he can score from outside or in the box and he can make free throws. He’s an amazing tall person. I don’t think we’ve ever seen a guy like him in the league.”

Dallas, the worst team in the NBA this season, has the greatest chance of getting the No. 1 pick. The other teams, in order of their odds of selecting first: Minnesota, Washington, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Golden State, Denver, Miami, Detroit and Orlando.