Collecting players with potential might sound like a logical idea on draft night. But, as Doc Rivers realized time and again when he looked down his bench and saw little ready help, potential didn't win many basketball games last season.

Having emerged from the past two NBA drafts with three players that were either project players or flat-out gambles, the Orlando Magic head into Thursday's NBA Draft hoping to finally land a sure thing. Of course, history says that that will be difficult when picking from the 15th slot of the first round. But the Magic feel the draft is deep enough that they can get a NBA-ready player with their pick.

"We want NBA skill. That's so important," Rivers said. "I don't want to be in a position where (general manager John Gabriel) looks at me and says, 'Let's take a gamble on a guy with a high upside.' That's nice, but it's also nice to know that the guy that you draft has a NBA skill and you can throw him out there and can get it done. If that guy is not a point guard, we'll still draft them because we need help now."

Gone is Rivers' risk-taking mentality of the past four seasons when he begged Gabriel and others in the organization to "gamble to be great." He learned that lesson the hard way when 2001 draftees Steven Hunter and Jeryl Sasser provided very little help and last season's draft haul, Ryan Humphrey, was a too-short post player who couldn't crack the rotation. Hunter and Sasser have been buried on the bench for two seasons, while Humphrey was traded to Memphis.

Without question, point guard is the Magic's greatest position of need. Darrell Armstrong is about to turn 35 and is a free agent, while Jacque Vaughn isn't expected back after a dreadful postseason. But also, the Magic are still undersized in the post and have very little depth behind Tracy McGrady and Gordan Giricek at the wing positions.