Ready for prime time: LeBron James will be taken first in the draft, his team determined in a lottery shifted to nighttime to capitalize on his popularity, but his No. 1 status likely has as much to do with ticket sales as talent

That's the other unknown about James: his willingness to work. It's going to take many practice-court jumpers to improve his game. Never has there been as pampered a top pick in the league, and whether James finds time in his off-court schedule to improve as a player remains to be seen. But it's work that separates a guy such as Bryant from a guy such as Miles.

Meet Bachelor No. 2: He was a big man on campus last year, and though he is laid-back, he certainly is not 'Melo when it comes to big-time performances. He promises he would never stand you up, unless it was in the post. If he were to give you a gift, it would be a ring--just don't ask for that big gold one he got from the NCAA. Now, let's meet Carmelo!

Carmelo says: "Of course I would take me No. 1. What kind of player would I be if I didn't?"

Best-case scenario: Chris Webber on the wing, only without that timeout. Worst-case scenario: A skinnier Glenn Robinson.

The skinny: They call him Mellow, and not just because of his first name--Carmelo Anthony really is a laid-back guy. So laid-back, in fact, that some scouts weren't sure he had the fire to succeed at the next level. "Then came the tournament," one front-office executive says. "He made a lot of people into believers."

With the 6-8, 220-pound Anthony leading Syracuse's run to the NCAA championship in April, whispers around the NBA were that he could, perhaps, displace James as the league's top pick. He earned name recognition but also earned a reputation as a player who had guts and chutzpah. Teams can only hope Milicic and James have those qualities. The No. 1 chatter has faded, though Anthony is not sure why.

"To me, I had the chance to play on the big stage," Anthony says. "Everybody saw me. And we won."

The biggest disadvantage Anthony has is that he is a pure small forward, not possessing the versatility and explosive burst that James has and not wide enough to be a low-post banger. But so what? Look around the league, and there are few true small forwards, players who have the size, athleticism and shooting range to play 15 to 20 feet from the hoop, combined with the skills to operate in the post when mismatches come. Players who have those abilities--Antoine Walker or Tim Thomas, for example--often mismanage them.

Anthony can hit the midrange jumper much better than James. He is an underrated passer and could one day play a halfcourt, point-forward role, like Jamal Mashburn or Webber. Like James, his defense should be called an unknown, not a negative, because Syracuse played a 2-3 zone.

And don't forget that when Anthony was in high school two years ago at Oak Hill Academy, he put up 34 points on James and the St. Vincent-St. Mary squad. "I remember that like it was yesterday," Anthony says. "I mostly remember that we won, though."

Now, folks, Bachelor No. 3 is tall, Darko and handsome but does not say much--in English, at least--which only adds to his status as an international man of mystery. His hobbies include eating cevapcici (don't worry, it's just sausage), putting on weight and correcting people who mispronounce his last name. Let's hear it for Darko!