Don’t feel sorry for Josh McRoberts.

OK, so you never did feel sorry for McRoberts. There’s no need to start now. Despite a plummet in the 2007 draft and an unremarkable Duke career, McRoberts may have lucked into the perfect NBA situation.

 “He wanted to play with Greg Oden, but not as the 37^th pick,” said Bob Myers, McRoberts’ L.A.-based agent. “That was something that was unexpected.”

 No kidding. Projected for months as a mid- to late-first round selection, McRoberts watched as six other ACC players were chosen ahead of him, more first rounders than any other league. McRoberts fell to the seventh pick of the second round, where money is smaller and infrequently guaranteed.

The sometimes-special Blue Devil forward determined last year that he would go pro following his sophomore season. He stuck with the plan, despite a disappointing showing on the court and lingering doubts about his back, which required surgery last August.

 “Nothing is certain when you get in the 20s in the draft,” Myers said. He insisted his client was nearly selected by the L.A. Lakers (they used the 19^th pick to take Georgia Tech point guard Javaris Crittenton), Philadelphia 76ers (#21, guard Daequan Cook), Phoenix Suns (#24, guard Rudy Fernandez), and Utah Jazz (#25, guard Morris Almond). “I think a lot of it was drafting based on need,” Myers explained, doubtless applying a bit of spin.

Some observers regarded McRoberts’ draft day fate as proof he made a mistake by leaving school early, or by not leaving early enough. The more persuasive argument is that he was a steal for Portland in the second round, and should thrive with the Trail Blazers. 

The financial hit in falling to the second round may not be all that great; Myers said the 6-10 forward got a two-year guaranteed contract with late-first round money. (Terms of the contract are not yet public.) Myers, who also represents J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams, McRoberts’ former Duke teammates, points to numerous second rounders thriving in the 30-team NBA, notably All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer, who left Duke following his junior year in 2002. 

A more promising sign for McRoberts is that he joins the Blazers alongside game-changing center Greg Oden, an old friend and the top pick in the NBA draft. McRoberts, Oden said, is “one of my favorite people in the world.” The pair played AAU ball together in Indiana. Also on that Spiece Indy Heat squad were first-round picks Cook and Mike Conley. 

Considered among the top prospects in his high school class, McRoberts entered Duke in 2005 amid talk he might be ready to jump directly to the NBA. But, like similarly touted Blue Devil big men Chris Burgess and Shavlik Randolph before him, McRoberts had plenty of growing to do. 

He showed signs of occasional excellence, thriving as a freshman in the very large shadows of All-Americans Williams and Redick. This past season he attempted to assume the mantle of stardom, with mixed results. 

McRoberts immediately emerged as an outstanding passer, “like a point guard on stilts,” according to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. Only four times since 1987, when the 3-pointer and shot clock went into effect, did an ACC big man accumulate more assists in a season than McRoberts’ 114. All played more games. (Duke’s Danny Ferry had the top three totals. N.C. State’s Ben McCauley had 115 in 2007.) 

Soon enough, however, opponents started defending the mobile McRoberts to pass, not to shoot. He seemed confused about his role, uncomfortable operating offensively from the low post on a squad that had no other creditable inside threat.

His scoring and rebounding were fairly consistent, and he was second in the ACC in blocked shots. Yet rarely was McRoberts a focal strength for the Blue Devils as they unraveled from an 18-3 start. 

McRoberts, 20, won’t have to carry the burden at Portland. Much like his freshman year at Duke, the presence of Oden will distract opposing teams on the court and will siphon off media attention and expectations to perform. “You can take away that pressure and develop at your own pace, which is nice,” said Myers, a walk-on member of UCLA’s 1995 national championship squad. 

Indicative of what is to come, more than 5,000 fans overflowed Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland to welcome Oden, the best post prospect to enter the NBA in years. Accompanying the 7-footer on his light-rail journey to the rally was Blazers coach Nate McMillan, the former N.C. State guard. 

The skills McRoberts has developed to this point – ballhandling, passing, solid defense, dependable rebounding – are complementary. Assuming he remains healthy and humble, that should be enough to earn playing time and respect on a team that was 32-50 in 2007.