Despite his team owning the coveted No. 1 overall selection, Coquitlam Adanacs rookie general manager Randy Delmonico appears to have the toughest job heading into Monday's Western Lacrosse Association junior draft.
Contrarily, Burnaby Lakers GM Paul Rowbotham seems to have the simplest.
Delmonico said Wednesday that while it will be an extremely tough choice between the prolific top two consensus picks, Travis Cornwall and Jackson Decker, Rowbotham and the Lakers will have a considerably less stressful time with the No. 2 selection.
"I was just talking to Paul the other day and he said his job will be easy," Delmonico said. "He'll just take whoever we don't."
Speaking of easy, precisely whom the A's select could just boil down to a simple matter of left versus right. If that's the case, they will likely nab the Port Moody native Decker, who's a high-scoring righthanded shot the A's desperately crave being that their truck-loaded on the left side of the floor, where the southpaw Cornwall would be a nice but much tighter fit.
Without completely revealing his poker cards, Delmonico so much as said it will be Decker who goes first at the Burnaby Firefighters Club, 7 p.m.
"The right side of the floor is where we've identified our needs," said Delmonico, whose A's also own picks No. 8 and 15 heading into the seven-team lottery. "We've spent a lot of time addressing that subject. Decker goes to the net and finishes well... he's the kind of guy we're looking for."
A first-team All-American field lacrosse star at South Carolina's Limestone College, Decker told The Tri-City News on Wednesday he's thrilled about the prospect of becoming an Adanac.
"Of course it would be a bonus to see that No. 1 next to your name," Decker said. "But that's just a bonus. [If] I have the chance to be a part of [the Adanacs] it would be outstanding. It will bring me back to my younger days when I used to go to the games with my parents and watch these amazing players do what they love.
"It doesn't matter what happens, I'm going to be excited."
Meanwhile, Delmonico conceded having to pass over Cornwall would be a difficult decision. Cornwall has direct ties as well to the Tri-Cities, having played all his minor and junior lacrosse in Coquitlam.
Last season, he finished third in B.C. Junior 'A' league regular-season scoring with 106 points, including 42 goals, in 20 games, while Decker -- acquired by the Jr. Adanacs at the tread deadline from the Burnaby Jr. Lakers -- managed 55 points, with 28 of those goals, in just 12 outings.
"Travis is the best athlete in the draft," Delmonico said. "He can do everything. He's got good speed, good size and is an imposing guy on the floor."
Regardless who they select, Delmonico said rebuilding an Adanacs team that went 7-11 and finished in the WLA cellar last campaign won't just stop at the draft, alluding to the possibility of acquiring more veteran players via free agency and/or trade.
"We'll be able to find [the right players] because we're not just looking at the draft, we're looking elsewhere as well," he said.
RAG LINE: The Adanacs open the 2012 regular season May 20 against the Burrards in Maple Ridge before facing the New Westminster Slamonbellies in their home opener May 26 at the Poirier Sports Complex.
