So that was fun…for some teams.
The 2014 NBA draft lottery is over. Finished. Kaput. Next stop, the NBA draft. Well, first we need to finish the Conference Finals. And crown an NBA champion. Then it’s on to the NBA draft.
Here are some thoughts for each lottery team, along with their draft position, on the heels of a night that reinforced the notion that, sometimes, the NBA is weird.
14. Phoenix Suns
If karma was an actual thing in the NBA, the Suns would have won the lottery after the season they had. Oh well, at least we’ll always have Markieff Morris’ lottery-day, Pink Panther-themed, prom-ready suit:
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
Late-lottery picks? We’re talking about late-lottery picks?
Kevin Love wants out and we’re talking about late-lottery picks?
Psshh.
12. Orlando Magic (via New York Knicks)
The Knicks win this one. Yes, that’s right. They lost this pick to the Nuggets as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2011, but they still win this one.
Denver didn’t get it. The Nuggets didn’t get it, because it didn’t jump into the top three. If it did, that would have been a loss. Instead, it’s a win.
Things are looking up, New York!
Okay, not really.
11. Denver Nuggets
If the sharpshooting, floor-spacing, Spurs-loving Doug McDermott is still on the board here, I say the Nuggets should take him.
What say you, Denver?
10. Philadelphia 76ers (via New Orleans Pelicans)
Zing.
The Sixers traded Jrue Holiday—who spent a majority of this past season injured—and wound up with Nerlens Noel and the 10th pick in this year’s draft.
Smart move(s), Sam Hinkie. Smart move(s).
9. Charlotte Hornets (via Detroit Pistons)
Suck it, Pistons.
This is a major loss for Detroit. Pawning Ben Gordon’s contract off on Charlotte came back to haunt them—it came back to kill them. This pick was top-eight protected, and it fell to ninth. Talk about a suckfest.
Meanwhile, the Hornets are back. And Charlotte is fresh off a playoff berth. And they have two first-round picks. And Al Jefferson is still good.
Keep an eye on this team next season. Big things may be coming.
8. Sacramento Kings
Word is the Kings are looking to trade this pick. Not sure what they could get for it, but they’re one immediate impact player away from being one of those teams that almost wins 32 games.
Gotta have dreams, yo.
7. Los Angeles Lakers
Well, this sucks. It shouldn’t suck. But for the Lakers, it does suck.
They dropped just one spot—they had the NBA’s sixth-worst regular-season record—yet it still feels like the sky is falling.
Here’s to possibly drafting Julius Randle and pretending to be happy about it!
6. Boston Celtics
General manager Danny Ainge is soooooooooooooooo going to use this pick as the centerpiece of a trade package for Love.
If he fails, he’s soooooooooooooooo going to trade Rajon Rondo instead.
Then he’s soooooooooooooooo going to hope Dante Exum slips to No. 6.
Realizing that Exum’s stock won’t be plummeting anytime soon, he’s soooooooooooooooo going to hope Marcus Smart likes the color green.
5. Utah Jazz
Please, for the love of all that is good, don’t draft another big man Utah.
*Jazz announce they’re going to select the 6’9″ Noah Vonleh*
*Yours truly dies*
*Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors look bemused*
4. Orlando Magic
Keep hearing that Exum is the guy for the Magic here. I disagree. Both he and Victor Oladipo overlap in so many areas.
Should Exum become more open to the idea of playing shooting guard, then maybe this works—but only if he improves his jumper.
For now, let’s hope Exum and Embiid both go in the top three, meaning that Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker would somehow fall to No. 4.
Related: That’s not going to happen.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
This really blows. Seriously.
There’s a good chance both Parker and Wiggins are off the board by this point, which is a damn shame, partly because I don’t want to see them pair Exum with Michael Carter-Williams; mostly because Wiggins or Parker would look fantabulous in Philly.
Don’t worry, though, I have an inbound solution…
2. Milwaukee Bucks
People on Twitter are perverts. Peeps were all over the Bucks owner’s daughter, Mallory Eden.
She’s 18, so it’s kind-of, sort-of fine, yet it feels so freaking wrong.
Oh, about Milwaukee’s pick…Selecting Joel Embiid would be awesome if it means that Larry Sanders can get high on another team’s dime. More likely, the Bucks play it safe, taking Wiggins, Parker or Exum, which basically means they can’t go wrong.
For once.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
CONSPIRACY!
All right, not really. The Cavs are just super, super lucky. Or super, super bad. Not sure how we look at this.
Cleveland nabbed its third No. 1 pick in the last four years. Three. In four years. It’s totally understandable if you have the urge to call bullshit.
Still, this is great for the Cavs. They should draft Wiggins, if they’re smart. But they won’t, because they’re not. Actually, they probably will, thus putting an end to all this LeBron James talk.
Or maybe not. I really don’t know. Sorry y’all.
Reports suggest they’re open to shopping this bad boy too. Don’t see them actually pulling the trigger, but go with me on this: Thaddeus Young and Philly’s No. 10 or No. 3 pick for Cleveland’s No. 1.
How’s that sound?
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
