Brook Lopez leads thin center class

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Brook Lopez: Stanford man, opportunist.In an NBA draft devoid of depth and likely stardom at center, a year after Greg Oden went first overall, Lopez might be the only top-10 pick from the position. Certainly, depending where DeAndre Jordan lands, he's the only solid bet at that spot in the lottery."I guess they're going to have to choose me," Lopez said in full deadpan and full control. They will, whether it's the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 3 or the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 5. Both need big men, with Minnesota ideally moving Al Jefferson to power forward and Memphis loaded with perimeter players, and both are realistic destinations for Lopez. The SuperSonics, at No. 4, have a need but also have gone for a center in three of the past four drafts, and Lopez does not have the kind of high ceiling that might get them to swallow hard and do it again.Lopez -- whose twin and Stanford teammate, Robin, is expected to be a top-20 pick -- is not generally rated as a future superstar. Rather, he projects as a dependable presence at a position where even those muffled standards are tough to come by, an offensive-minded contributor, as much as he hates the description as limiting, who can score from the post and has range.Dependability is worth an edge in this center draft class, though:-- 1. Lopez, 7-foot sophomore: A first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference and third-team All-American last season, he averaged 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds.-- 2. Jordan, Texas A&M, 7-0 freshman: On bursting potential and athleticism that screams to scouts who dreamily imagine the next superstar big man, Jordan is the preferred prospect. But he is so raw that the entire pick is on spec, to the point that he wasn't even a full-time starter last season in college. High risk, high reward.-- 3. JaVale McGee, Nevada, 7-0 sophomore: Much like Jordan, he probably is years away from a dramatic impact, but teams easily see an agile big man on an upward track. Even if his offense needs time, quickness and length mean the son of former WNBA Sacramento Monarch Pam McGee can contribute sooner as a shot blocker and rebounder.-- 4. Kosta Koufos, Ohio State, 7-0 freshman: He is skilled offensively, with post moves and a shooting touch. But 6.7 rebounds a game in the Big Ten Conference, albeit as a teenager, means he will get pushed around at the next level.-- 5. Roy Hibbert, Georgetown, 7-2 senior: A possible lottery pick a year ago before deciding to return to school, he will drop for sure, likely into the 20s. Even if he turns out to be little more than a serviceable backup center, that's worth a lot these days.(Contact Scott Howard-Cooper at showard-cooper@sacbee.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)