Post Lotto reaction: Five Quick Thoughts


In case you didn’t hear, the NBA held its draft lottery last night and the Cleveland Cavs were the big winners, walking away with the first pick and the fourth pick in the upcoming draft. Utah also moved up, while Washington, Toronto, Detroit, and Sacramento all moved down. Here are some quick thoughts on how last night affected the Hornets, the NBA, and me personally (which, of course, is the most important factor).

1. Oh, to be a Clippers fan

When the Clippers traded away this year’s first round pick to the Cavs, they did so because they assumed they would be picking 8-10 and their scouts told them there were only 2-3 top level talents in this draft. Because they are the Clippers, they didn’t put any protection on the pick, and now history will show that the Clippers gave up the #1 pick, just so they could unload Baron Davis a year before the NBA gives everybody an Amnesty Clause to right their past mistakes. As Sam Beckett would say, “Oh boy.”

If it makes Clippers fans feel any better, they probably wouldn’t have gotten the #1 pick if they didn’t make the trade. The Clippers were playing good ball and developing a chemistry prior to dealing B Diddy and likely would have finished ahead of Charlotte, Milwaukee, and/or Golden State. But although we can speculate on that, we will never truly know. All we know for sure is that the Clippers are cursed and they will be as long as that racist Donald Sterling is the owner. And because of that, I feel no pity for them.

2. Kyrie Irving might just save a friendship

The Best Man at my upcoming wedding works for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and because of that the last year has been tough on me. For the last seven years we would meet up in different NBA cities when the Cavs were on the road and catch up. Then, while he worked, I would take in the Cavs game. There was nothing like having great seats to a Lebron game, but let me tell you, it is brutal to have to watch that team without him.

I started to dread the trips, because I knew that at the end of them I would be forced to watch Cleveland get massacred by Orlando or Atlanta, or even Charlotte. It brought me back to the days when my ex-girlfriend would make me go to the opera with her and her family. I resented her for it, and I began to resent him for making me watch that crap. But now I have Kyrie Irving to look forward to, and who knows, maybe they will add another piece at #4. This team might be exciting to watch next year, and that means that I won’t have to come up with another lie this year about why I can’t make it up to Milwaukee for the weekend.

3. Another shoot first guard for the Kings?

Nearly every “expert” has Kemba Walker as a lock to go to Sacramento, but I just don’t see it. Do they want DeMarcus Cousins to be the first player committed while still in uniform? The Kings, like the Grizzlies, are so much better when they work inside-out, but instead they are going to draft another chucker and re-sign Thornton? I will believe it when I see it.

Or perhaps they do pick Walker and set their sights on a small forward with their free agent dollars, meaning that they will not match any offers thrown at Marcus Thornton. That would mean a team who has a need at shooting guard might be able to get him for a reasonable price. Anybody know a team that might be in the market?

4. Minnesota needs to start working the phones

The T’Wolves are starting to put together a nice little nucleus, especially if they can get Rubio to come over, but they need to start adding some veterans to this team before the mix of young personalities start creating schisms in the locker room. If I am David Kahn, my core is Love, Rubio, and Wesley Johnson. After that, anything can go. I don’t have the time to wait on a guy like Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter, because I want to show Love that he can be a winner here before his contract is up. In order to do that, I move this pick to get veteran help.

Tons of options out there, but one jumps out at me immediately; Portland. Michael Beasley, Luke Ridnour, and the #2 pick for Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and Nic Batum. Portland uses the pick to finally get the young point guard they have been searching for (B.Knight), while getting Ridnoir to hold down the fort for now and Beasley to be a 6th man of the year candidate off the bench. The Wolves take a huge risk on Oden, but if he hits, that could be the most dominant front line in basketball. Batum and Johnson compliment each other beautifully, and Rubio comes over because his good friend Rudy Fernandez is on the squad.

5. What will the Jazz become?

After this draft is over, the Jazz will have four combined lottery picks from the last two drafts on their roster. The consensus seems to be that they will take Brandon Knight with the third pick and either a foreign player or Jimmer Fredette at 12. In essence, they will have gotten Derrick Favors, Knight, and a couple of years out of Devin Harris for their superstar Deron Williams. Because I do not see Favors or Knight ever becoming All-Star caliber players, it is likely that the Jazz are doomed to live in NBA mediocrity for the next few years, unless they can move Milsap or Al Jefferson for something of quality.

Having all of these players under rookie contracts should help the Jazz as the NBA hammers down a hard cap, or something similar, so financially they will have their ducks in a row. The problem is, however, that free agents simply do not want to go to Utah unless they are vastly overpaid, and that will be hard to manage under the new system. Utah will have a collection of quality players on their roster, but no true superstar to give the ball to in the final minutes. We saw this year, with Denver, just how far that can take you.


11 responses to “Post Lotto reaction: Five Quick Thoughts”

  1. I can’t imagine that we would honestly go after Thornton, I’d love it but I just don’t see it. Also not that it matters but it’s Luke Ridnour not Ridnoir.

  2. Nice.

    I think Minnesota needs to make moves and are the team most poised to do so. They have reasonably priced players, cap room, and a player they need to impress. A front-office with a history of questionable moves helps their partners.

    Any chance they’d deal Rubio? He may want to come here and develop under Chris, then be the man on a team without Chris. New Orleans is pretty European and he may dig it. Dude seems reluctant to go to Minnesota, so they need to move on… He’s getting paid, they have no leverage…

    • Actually, the Wolves have a little bit of leverage with Rubio because his Euro team is preparing to move on without him. Would the Wolves trade him? Maybe. But not to the Hornets. Minny would want more than we can offer and Ricky’s people will put him in a big market where he can start right away.

      Maybe Rubio for Eric Bledsoe and either Aminu or Eric Gordon.

      How about Rubio, Darko, and Beasley to the Heat, Bosh to the Lakers, and Bynum and Chalmers to the Wolves?

      • I’m not sure that’s a chance that the Heat are willing to take… Rubio has all-star potential, sure, but Miami would likely want more of a sure thing at PG if they were going to give up Bosh.

  3. For what it’s worth, the Clippers couldn’t have protected the pick even if they wanted to, because of the Stepien rule (their 2013 1st round pick belongs to the Celtics, and you can’t trade two consecutive future first round picks). Just saying. Regardless, this would only happen to the Clips.

    • They could have protected it if they put the T’Wolves 2012 pick up as the consolation prize should they get a top 3 pick this year. Heck, make it top 1 protected if there is only one guy you want in this draft. No reason to leave it completely unprotected.

      There is a precedent for top 1 protection, as the Pistons pick (in which they took Darko) was top 1 protected by the Grizzlies. Could you imagine Lebron as a Grizz? How long would that have lasted.

      Anyway, that is how I would have done it if I were the Clips. Top 1 protected pick this year, if we get the #1 pick, then you get T’Wolves unprotected next year. Cavs would have taken that and Clippers wouldn’t mind giving up Wolves 2012 pick if it meant Kyrie Irving.

  4. Any rumblings about a starting 2 for the Hornets? Fans would love to take a chance on retreading Thornton, but it seems unrealistic. Smith and Belly for Wade? Just kidding.

  5. On the game tonight:

    The slightest challenge by Mr. James and that 3 likely doesn’t go in.

    I’m not sure how he can not play like every shot matters . . . on both sides.

  6. I like Kahn , the lottery joke is funny and he actually compared Darko to Vlade Divac while sitting next to Chris Webber he’s great.

    gotta wise up trade that pick to Portland so they can steal Brandon Knight from the Jazz get their young pg , they can also move Beasley or Randolph a guard . Bring in Batum Miller and most importantly Rubio’s boy Fernandez

    just a loose thought

    also the heat should definitely look to move bosh …. he a scrub , gets garbage points against garbage D in garbage games , he ugly too

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