RealGM:Isiah Thomas says he plans to be a "Gamblin' Man" on June 28. Today, the Knicks, in a joint session with the Nets, begin individual pre-draft workouts at the Knicks' Westchester campus, with Vanderbilt's small forward Derrick Byars, projected as a mid-first-rounder, the centerpiece.
Thomas feels he can be looser with the 23rd pick. He considers former Kentucky center Randolph Morris, signed in March after the NCAA Tournament, as his first selection of the 2007 draft.
"I feel it's my second pick in the draft," Thomas said last week at Orlando's pre-draft camp. "Having [claimed] one pick in this draft, I could be more riskier with the second pick. I'm could take some chances, take a flier on maybe somebody people aren't expecting you to pick."
"The guy we pick at 23, I'd be surprised if he cracked the playing rotation next year," Thomas added. "We can afford to draft a guy and maybe look at a two-year window and wait on him."
Thomas shocked the NBA world last June, when he took Renaldo Balkman at No. 20, passing up prestigious point guard Marcus Williams. The move turned out OK.
