Picked Over

Ian Thomsen gives his assessment of last Thursday's draft

3 INSTANT WINNERS

Magic
Top choice Dwight Howard will soon replace Tracy McGrady as the team's multifaceted star. Point guard Jameer Nelson will contribute immediately.

Jazz
With loads of salary-cap space and a winning system in place, Utah upgraded its rebounding with 6'9" forward Kris Humphries and its scoring with swingman Kirk Snyder.

Bulls
Guard Ben Gordon and forward Luol Deng join second-year playmaker Kirk Hinrich as building blocks of a team in the hard-nosed image of coach Scott Skiles.

3 FUTURE ALL-STARS

Shaun Livingston

His height (6'7") and passing ability should make this Clipper the best point guard of his generation—once hi learns to shoot.

Robert Swift
Having failed to achieve a quick fix at center (see Calvin Booth, Vitaly Potapenko), the Sonics invest it an 18-year-old 7-footer with a knack for blocking shots and making the extra pass.

Dorell Wright
The 6'8" forward's athleticism and zeal for defense made him a coaches' favorite in leaguewide workouts, and the Heat's up-tempo style will bring out the best in him.