Pre-Lotto:
To calm myself before the draft, I decided to take a look at some of the lighter and funnier aspects of the whole experience. First up, I realized that the controversy would live on with the ping-pong balls being selected backstage. This always blows my mind because the NBA shrugs off complaints about it possibly being rigged, yet refuses to do it live. Moving on to the representatives, there were some familiar faces representing their respective franchises. Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert had his son represent the Cavs for the third straight year. If you are into superstition, they did secure the 1st pick 2 years ago (tremendous foreshadowing). The funniest part of the whole lottery (apart from the Bobcats getting screwed AGAIN) was the icy cold stare on Mavericks representative Donnie Nelson’s face. As usual, some players showed up to support their squads, including reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard (Blazers), Kevin Love (Timberwolves), Bradley Beal (Wizards), and Andre Drummond (Pistons). One person I dearly wished could have been there was Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who just about single-handedly kept the team in their city. It would have been a very interesting scene for the struggling franchise.
The Lottery:
Sauntering from backstage came a man from some big wig corporation to hand over the “predetermined” picks. Soon-to-be Commissioner Adam Silver presented the picks in typical fashion. As he opened envelope after envelope, suspense built throughout the building. Here are the results:
14. Jazz
13. Mavericks (continual icy stare throughout)
12. Raptors (pick given to Thunder from previous trade)
11. Sixers
10. Trail Blazers (retain pick from Bobcats trade)
9. Timberwolves
8. Pistons
7. Kings
6. Pelicans
5. Suns
4. Hornets… excuse me, Bobcats (At least this is the worst class in years)
3. Wizards (huge leap for them)
2. Magic
1. Cavaliers (that’s right, Nick Gilbert did it again)
Reaction:
I instinctively turned the T.V. off after the Bobcats got the 4th pick, but forced myself to turn it back on.
I feel bad for:
The Raptors. They had their pick dealt to OKC after staying out of top 3.
The Bobcats. They can never catch a break in the lottery. Look for a possible trade here
The Magic. Ehhh not really, they have been extremely lucky for a long time. They will probably take McLemore either way.
I feel great for:
The Wizards. They jumped way up and secured themselves the third pick. Bradley Beal was beaming.
The Cavaliers. Once again, they received the number 1 pick and can pick a centerpiece to begin a winning tradition with Kyrie Irving.
Final Analysis:
Though the lottery has many, many flaws, it is an exciting little thing that fans of bad teams get to look forward to. I hope that in the future the process gets better, but don’t count on it. The NBA likes to know who is going where. I kid, I kid, but is it really that far-fetched?
By Jackson McNally
HMU on Twitter for more articles and Lottery news @jacksonmcnally1
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