Here is what you need to know about the buzz surrounding this year’s NBA Draft. I didn’t know the Draft Lottery was tomorrow until I randomly google’d Blake Griffin today. And really this isn’t a Lottery it’s the Blake Griffin Sweepstakes. I’m very apathetic towards this lottery and draft for a handful of reasons. As fans we’ve been spoiled the past couple years with great drafts full of great talent. We’ve had those ‘Whose number one’ debates. Beasley vs. Rose, Oden vs. Durant. This year doesn’t have that….at all. It’s Blake Griffin and the rest is a mystery. I won’t go as far as this unnamed executive and call it one of the “worst drafts ever” but the home run talent is lacking. And that’s an issue, outside of Griffin there is no can’t miss, team altering type player. Don’t get me wrong there is a lot of talented players from top to bottom, just not quite guys who are for sure, for sure, for sure taking you to the next level. But then again we could all be wrong because a lot of people dissed on last year’s draft and that wasn’t right. The last 2-3 years in the Lottery there have been teams in there who are a piece or two away from the playoffs. In 2007, four teams jumped from the Lottery to the Playoffs. Three teams (Chicago, Miami, Portland) from last year’s lottery jumped into the playoffs. There is not that same kind of optimism heading into this draft for a couple reasons. The teams in the lottery have a few hurdles to overcome before they sniff the playoffs.
The Kings come in with the best chance of picking up the #1 spot. Unfortunately for them, since 1990 only three teams with the highest (or best) chances of getting the #1 pick have actually come out of the Lottery with the #1 pick. New Jersey in 1990, Cleveland in 2003 and Orlando in 2004. Another sad blow to Sac-Town.
Onto my ridiculous attempt to predict the order of the NBA Lottery. I have no ping pong balls, I have no fancy machines, no crazy statistics to back me up. What do I have? Conspiracy theories, pre-conceived notions and my devious and devilish thoughts. This is the third year I’ve done this and in the past I have been way off. Here is what I think may happen tomorrow:
- Washington
- Los Angeles
- Golden State
- Sacramento
- Oklahoma City
- Minnesota
- Memphis
- New York
- Toronto
- Milwaukee
- New Jersey
- Charlotte
- Indiana
- Phoenix
How I’d get here? Well I think there is no way the Kings or Clippers get the #1 pick. For Sac-Town they just have the most chances which traditionally never works out. Also Chris Webber is their representative. Clippers? A part of me wants to say why not stick Blake in LA. Young superstar, maybe could take them to the next level. Nah. The Clippers have too much bad organizational karma to deserve a #1 pick. And they are sending poor Baron Davis out there as their rep to get disappointed. Then I wanted to put Oklahoma City in the #1 spot because my inner conspiracy theorist says if the Thunder are going to work long-term why not give them the best player and a hometown boy. But my inner conspiracy theorist then remembered that they stole the team from Seattle and David Stern might light their ping pong balls on fire to make sure they don’t come out with #1. So even though I secretly think they are going to get it, I can’t in good faith predict it. Golden State? I then wanted to to give New York the leap but they’ll get LeBron so it’s all good. Memphis and Minnesota? No way Stern sticks Blake Griffin in those stink, stank holes. So I came up with the Wizards. Why? Obama said so. Obama will make the call to Stern and make this happen. Boom, nailed it.
And don’t take this seriously unless I end up being right.