Saw this awesome chart over at Golden State of Mind…
And while we’re at it… how about some fresh linkage:
NBA Chat with Chad Ford at ESPN.com
Chris (Nashville TN)
:
If the Wolves were to win the draft lottery tonight, should they stick w/ the sure thing and draft Evan Turner at #1, or if they decide to trade down, what current players could they receive in trading down?
Chad Ford
(1:16 PM)
:
I think you take Wall. All 14 teams most likely take Wall and then figure out what to do (either trade him or trade someone else on the roster or figure out how to work him in with existing players). I’ve heard through a source that they are very, very high on Evan Turner. He’s a better fit given their existing personnel and one source told me that they’ve given signals to Turner that he’d be the No. 1 pick if they won it. However, I think the most likely scenario is the Wolves take Wall and then start negotiating.
– Or… we could take DeMarcus Cousins BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Fail.
David Stern Didn’t Rig The Lottery
From Henry Abbot at TrueHoop:
J.E. Skeets did. Seriously, watch him put his Skeetsian mind meld on this poor defenseless Toronto psychic.
She basically said the Nets were going to win tonight’s lottery for the simple reason that Skeets told her to say that. Until he intervened, she was saying the Knicks were going to win the lottery, which would be a tough call, as they have just a 2.2% chance of winning, and owe their pick to the Utah Jazz anyway.
If Giovanna has sway in the spirit world, Mikhail Prokhorov owes Skeets a jet ski or something.
Seriously, though, I am headed to the lottery tonight — I think I’ll once again be in the secret room with the pingpong balls — and before I go in, I’m trying to get a sense of which team has the most riding on the outcome of that little clear machine with the numbered balls whirring around inside. The five teams with the best chances of winning the top overall pick:
Prep For the Lottery Tonight
By Chad Ford at ESPN.com:
In preparation for Tuesday’s draft lottery, here are some interesting storylines you should take note of before the envelopes are opened.
• Of the teams in the lottery this year, five teams — the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies — have never won the lottery.
Is it just me or are the Timberwolves the only team in the group that could theoretically screw this up — even if they get the No. 1 pick? Last year the team took three point guards in the first round (it traded one of them, Ty Lawson, on draft night). GM David Kahn is infatuated with Ricky Rubio and may not want to scare him off any more than he already has by drafting John Wall.
Team by Team Lottery Outlook
By Chris Mannix at CNNSI.com:
Needs: SF, C
With three first-round picks (their selection along with Nos. 16 and 23) and dynamic playmaker Ricky Rubio marinating overseas, the Wolves have some options. If they land the No. 1 pick, they could swap Rubio or incumbent Jonny Flynn (or both) for a traditional center to play next to Al Jefferson or another scorer to boost an offense that finished 29th in points per 100 possessions. Wall may force Minnesota to re-examine Kurt Rambis‘ hybrid triangle offense, but his motor would fit in well on a team that averaged the third-most possessions per 48 minutes last season. So, too, would a polished scorer like Turner, who could step in right away at one of the swing positions.
Good Luck Charm
From the Pioneer Press:
Considering the Timberwolves’ bad luck in the NBA lottery, David Kahn, the team’s president of basketball operations, agreed to try something different when he made good on a promise to KFAN-AM host Paul Allen. Kahn was a guest on Allen’s show the day before the Kentucky Derby when Allen proposed on-air that if Super Saver won the Derby, he would accompany Kahn to New Jersey to help bring the Wolves good luck.
Super Saver won, so Allen and Kahn were scheduled to fly together to New Jersey for the lottery on Monday afternoon.
“If we don’t get No. 1, it’ll be his fault,” Kahn said.
“If the Wolves get four or five, it won’t be a disaster, but I know they won’t be happy about it,” Allen said. “I want to be lucky for them.”
– Not as good of a “Good Luck Charm” as MacGyver!
We Need Balls To Bounce On Us
From Ray Richardson at the Pioneer Press:
This year’s NBA draft essentially is shaped by two players: Kentucky guard John Wall and Ohio State forward Evan Turner. The Timberwolves finished the season with the league’s second-worst record (15-67), and if they get what they believe they deserve, tonight’s lottery will allow them to draft one of the two.
But the lottery never seems to work out that way for the Timberwolves.
“Let justice be done,” said Wolves president Chris Wright, a 19-year member of the organization. “It’s time for us to turn that corner and rightfully pick where we’re supposed to pick.”
The Timberwolves, making their 13th appearance in the lottery, never have landed the No. 1 pick — or even picked higher than third. Along with Charlotte, Denver, Dallas, Detroit and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Wolves have never even moved up in the lottery. The Wolves have maintained their position six times in the lottery and fallen six times.
1-1 Interview with David Kahn
From Jonah Ballow at Timberwolves.com