By Various Media

Below are transcripts of interviews from 2003 NBA draft lottery night with the representatives of each team involved. Draft lottery night is when the order of the first 13 picks of the next NBA draft are established. This year's edition was nicknamed the "LeBron James Lottery," because it's well known that whoever gets the first pick will take James.

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CARON BUTLER, Miami - Forward

Fifth overall selection

Q: How did it feel representing your team on stage?

Butler: It was fun. I had the opportunity to sit amongst a couple of good friends of mine, Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, Juan Dixon. We’re happy with the outcome, the highest pick we’ve had since 1991. It’s a great opportunity for us to make a great decision and get a nice prospect.

Q: What are the most pressing needs for Miami?

Butler: We can go a variety of ways, but I’ll be happy with whatever we can get. Management will decide who we pick, but no matter what, I’ll still be happy.

Q: Are you a big fan of any of these prospects?

Butler: Reece Gaines is a nice prospect. He’s very versatile. Also Mike Sweetney, he’s a banger. He can do some unique things. Chris Bosh. There are a lot of guys and I think we can go a variety of ways.

Q: How close is this team to competing?

Butler: I think we are a player away from being competitive, that’s why we were here. And we have a great opportunity to get someone. A lot of our games went down to the wire. I think 33 of our games this year went down to final four minutes. We are probably a player away.

ELGIN BAYLOR, Los Angeles Clippers - Vice President of Basketball Operations

Sixth overall selection

Q: You didn’t get one of the top three, but all indications are this is a deep draft.

Baylor: Oh, yeah, there are some great players in the draft. It goes fairly deep, so we’ll get a good player.

Q: Needs-wise, are you looking at a specific position?

Baylor: I’m not looking at it as far as needs. I’m just looking to get the best player we can get at the sixth spot.

Q: Looking at your roster, would you be more inclined to go for a player with more experience or someone you can develop?

Baylor: We will take whoever the best player is, whether he is a college guy or whatever.

Q: Will the pick be predicated on who you think will be back from last season’s roster?

Baylor: We are just going to pick the best player. It doesn’t matter what the roster looks like or who we have on the team. We are just going to get the best player we can get.

B.J. ARMSTRONG, Chicago - Special Assistant

Seventh overall selection

Q: Did things go the way you expected?

Armstrong: There’s always a chance. I’m really happy for Mr. Gund. Now, here we are with the seventh pick, and we have the opportunity to get a really good player with that pick. Now we’ll go through the process of identifying the player who can best contribute to our ballclub.

Q: Have you and John Paxson talked about team needs?

Armstrong: You have to first know your position before you can start to realize what direction you’re headed in. We’ll have the opportunity over the next four to five weeks or so before the draft to do that, and really get into the specifics and details needed to make this pick.

Q: With Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry starting to really develop, will you guys look more toward a guard or wing player?

Armstrong: Certainly, with the growth of our young kids over the last couple of years, it would point us in that direction, but you have to identify the talent. We’re going to try to acquire the most talented player at that selection. Talent wins in this league. We’re going to try to choose the player that will really help this ballclub and make us a more competitive team, a team that’s going to be ready to compete and contend.

Q: Would you expect to be back in the lottery next year?

Armstrong: We’ll take it day by day. Next year will take care of itself, but it’s the small victories each day that show you you’re moving in the right direction. We feel good about where we’re going and where we’re headed. Now, we have to continue to do the work and accomplish what we need to accomplish.

ALLAN HOUSTON, New York - Guard

Ninth overall selection

Q: What are your thoughts?

Houston: The very first thing has nothing to really do with the draft, it has to do with our team getting healthy, get Antonio (McDyess) healthy and to have everybody start from day one and get off to a great start. Anything we get from this draft would help. We haven’t had draft picks that have been able to make an impact, so hopefully we’ll be able to get somebody that will help us.

Q: How worried is the team about Antonio McDyess and his future?

Houston: I’m really not worried about Antonio’s injury because I think it’s an injury that has to just take time. As a professional athlete, it’s hard to say, all right I’m just gonna let this thing heal, because you’re competitive and you want to get out there. There’s a lot of pressure. He’s still fairly young, and if he’s not 100 percent, he’s still one of the best big men in the Eastern Conference anyway. I feel very positive about him getting back to where he was. I think he knows deep down that he’s still going to play. If you have something like that happen to you, there’s no person in this world that wouldn’t be a little down, but the bottom line is, he knows and we know that he’ll be back. It’s just premature for people to doubt that.

Q: Were you hoping to bring this team luck tonight?

Houston: I was hoping to. I didn’t want to carry it all on my shoulders, and I wasn’t going to take all the credit if we did get the No. 1 pick. Hopefully, whatever happens with the pick that we have, it can have an impact on our team.

JUAN DIXON, Washington - Guard

10th overall selection

Q: What needs does this team have?

Dixon: Just a player who’s hungry. A player that wants to win. Our main goal is to get over the hump and make the playoffs. Hopefully, guys will work hard this summer and we’ll get a good pick, and guys will be ready to play next year. I’m a little disappointed. I had this feeling that we would definitely get that top three pick, but we came up a little short. Hopefully, we can still do well in the draft.

Q: Any prospect that intrigues you?

Dixon: I think Reece Gaines is a pretty good player. I think he’s pretty good pick. I like his game, he’s athletic, he’s 6-6 and he plays hard on both ends of the floor. I really like him, and I think he’ll be available around that time.

Q: Last year you were probably watching this at home and this year you were representing your team. How did you enjoy the experience?

Dixon: It was a great experience. I was up there talking to Allan Houston and Antawn Jamison and mingling with all the guys. It was a great experience. I just wish I could have brought a little bit more luck. We came up a little short, but I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun.

ANTAWN JAMISON, Golden State - Forward

11th overall selection

Q: What needs does your team have that can be satisfied with the 11th pick?

Jamison: It’s interesting. If we are not able to re-sign Gilbert (Arenas), we definitely need somebody who plays the one-two-type slot. Another big man wouldn’t hurt, so it’s a good situation. I think there are a lot of players we could get in that spot. Even though we weren’t in the top three, we are definitely in a situation where we can really improve our team. That’s the most important thing.

Q: Are you a big fan of anyone in this draft?

Jamison: I’m really a big fan of Dwayne Wade. He’s well-rounded. He can shoot, put the ball on the floor, pass the ball. He can make other guys better. I think that’s one guy who for some reason really sticks out in my mind at that 11th pick. Whether or not he’ll still be there is a big question. If he’s available, that’s one guy I wouldn’t mind playing with.

Q: How close is this team to competing for a playoff spot?

Jamison: Maybe one or two players away. I think the most important thing is for them to find a way to keep us together. Then with that 11th pick, adding somebody like Dwayne Wade or Kirk Hinrich, who can really come in and help us out, that would just add the piece to the puzzle as far as us taking the next step to being a playoff contender.

RICK SUND, Seattle - General Manager

12th overall selection

Q: Are you comfortable picking at 12?

Sund: I would have been more comfortable at one, two or three, but the odds were really stacked against us. We’ve been concentrating on having the 12th pick. We had to have our fingers crossed because the Atlanta pick was a big pick for us, because if Atlanta was going to be one, two or three, then Milwaukee would have kept their 14th pick. So, now we have two picks in the first part of the draft, 12 and 14, and that gives us some amunition. I think I had more mixed emotions because the percentages were pretty high that Atlanta could pick one, two or three.

Q: Do you have any specific needs to feed?

Sund: I think we’ll look at the needs. I’ve always felt -- and I’ve been in the league for 29 years and fortunately for me, only three teams -- and most of the success I’ve had in the draft is to examine the needs. But also look at the best player and then equate if there’s a real differentiation between the two. It’s great when the best player happens to be a need that you can fill. Obviously, the first 11 picks are going to dictate who’s gonna be there at 12 and 14.

Q: Are you happy for your old team Detroit getting the second pick?

Sund: Yes. I had real mixed emotions about leaving Detroit. I didn’t just jump to Seattle. I had to interview and really think about and talk to Joe (Dumars). It was a situation where they were on the upswing, but the opportunity for me in Seattle was too good to pass up.


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