After holding the fate of the Syracuse men’s basketball team in his hands for much of the season, Carmelo Anthony’s destiny will be decided by a flurry of bouncing ping-pong balls.

Three NBA executives contacted yesterday shortly after Anthony declared for the NBA Draft agreed the forward should be one of the draft’s top three picks. They said that high-school star LeBron James, 7-foot Yugoslavian forward Darko Milicic and Anthony appear to be a tier above any other potential selections.

The draft is June 26 at Madison Square Garden.

“It seems like you have those three, and then you have everyone else,” said one general manager, speaking on a condition of anonymity. “It’s still early, and there’s room for movement, but there’s a gap.”

NBA general managers are barred from talking about underclassmen until notified by commissioner David Stern.

Although James is considered a near lock for the No. 1 selection, the general manager said it was conceivable that Anthony could be drafted with the top selection.

“Right now, I think most everyone has LeBron ahead of the other two players,” the GM said. “But we’re very early in the process. Any of those guys can move around a little.”

Both Anthony and Milicic are considered more polished players than James, but executives said James has the most upside. While James dominated high school competition, Anthony proved to be one of the NCAA’s top players, and Milicic took on professionals in Europe.

If a team in playoff contention winds up with the top pick, via the NBA Draft lottery May 22, it could be more likely to choose Anthony or Milicic because they would make a difference earlier in their careers.

The three top players will cement their final draft positions through personal workouts with NBA teams. These workouts take place after the lottery.

Executives were split on whom they’d select with the No. 2 pick and said workouts would most likely determine their choice. As a top-three selection, Anthony would make between $2.5 and $3.2 million. It’s also possible that Anthony’s standing could drop based on his workouts.

“It’s always a possibility,” one executive said. “Although, it’s hard to imagine it for someone who’s done what he’s done. We’re in the very early stages. It seems like it’s set in stone, but come June 26, it can look completely different.”

Executives said Anthony’s strengths are the advanced level at which he plays the game, and the variety of things he can do with the ball. He drew comparisons to the Boston Celtics’ Antoine Walker and the Miami Heat’s Caron Butler.

“He can do some of everything,” an executive said. “He has a good, strong body. He makes others around him better, he can take a guy off the dribble and he can take the ball inside.”

The executive said Anthony must improve his conditioning and defense to make an immediate impact in the NBA. Another general manager said Anthony must improve the consistency of his outside shot.

Although Anthony appeared nearly unstoppable by the end of the NCAA Tournament, he struggled at times with physical defenders who held a quickness advantage. Anthony also often appeared lost on defense.

Anthony has continued to work on his conditioning, joining SU teammates in the weight room during workout sessions. Despite his early entrance into the NBA, Anthony has not set expectations for his rookie season.

“I don’t really have any expectations,” Anthony said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to step in right away, get some playing time and contribute.”

Executives said Anthony’s eventual position in the draft — and his ability to meet those expectations — could depend on which team’s ping-pong balls appear first in the lottery.

“He could end up with a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers,” an executive said. “Obviously, he’s going to be able to make a much bigger impact with a lesser team.”

Published on April 24, 2003 at 12:00 pm