Rockets' GM Carroll Dawson will represent the Rockets at Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery. In 2002, Steve Francis represented the club when they received the top pick, who became Yao Ming, a player that most experts had as the consensus top player on the board.

This season that top player is more difficult to name.

"I don't think anybody can say (their preferences) until they bring some of these guys in," Dawson said. "There's not always a Yao Ming, Duncan or (Hakeem) Olajuwon. Sometimes it's pretty close. Sometimes who gets first pick has a lot to do with who goes first.

"It's just close. No one is just really standing out, knocking everybody's socks off. The first five are relatively close, and all are pretty good players."