- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The Heat is there because it was very uncompetitive, going a league-worst 15-67 to tie for the worst record in the franchise's 20 seasons. Because of that, it has a better chance than any other team to land the first pick in the June 26 draft. 'It's nerve-racking, even though there's nothing you can do about it,' said Heat Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Andy Elisburg, who will represent the Heat in the behind-the-scenes drawing. 'It's a nerve-racking day as you get ready for it.' While Elisburg will be an anonymous observer, guard Dwyane Wade, who will represent the Heat on stage as the envelopes are opened, figures eventually to have input into the situation."
- Michael Wallace of The Miami Herald: "Of the seven previous times Miami has been in the lottery, it has lost ground on six occasions and stayed put once. So, naturally, Wade carried a fare amount of anxiety into his latest clutch assignment as Heat catalyst. 'I don't want to get blamed,' Wade said. 'I plan to have a nice suit on up there. The worst we can get is the fourth pick. ... And if we get the fourth pick, I don't want it to look like the jinx of D. Wade.'"
- Percy Allen of The Seattle Times: "The Sonics drafted rookie of the year Kevin Durant second overall in 2007 and this year they could select Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley with one of the top two draft selections. Either option portends a rosy outlook for a team that has won just one playoff series in the past decade and whose future in Seattle is unclear. 'We don't have any control over where we end up [in the draft],' general manager Sam Presti said. 'We're confident we'll get a good player and it will be a productive draft for our organization.' ... Assistant general manager Rich Cho will represent the Sonics behind the scenes during the drawing and Durant will sit on stage as the winners are announced."
- Dave Boling of The News Tribune: "The NBA holds its draft lottery this evening in Secaucus, N.J., creating the possibility that Seattle SuperSonics fans will be elated (gut-shot) when their (Oklahoma City's) team gets lucky (cursed) to get one of the coveted top-two picks. So Wednesday morning, you'll have another headline thrown in your face indicating that there will be a gloriously wonderful addition to a house from which you'll be soon evicted. The tedium and ambivalence will continue this summer as the Seattle SuperLitigators drag owner Clay Bennett through a series of court cases in an attempt to keep him from team-napping the Sonics. In the meantime, ambivalence reigns. I would wager that a measure of anti-Bennett backlash will benefit the WNBA's Seattle Storm."
- Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Fred Hoiberg represented the Wolves there three years ago when he was a player and brought home the 14th overall selection when his team had a miniscule chance of landing the NBA draft's first pick. Little more than a month later, Hoiberg underwent open-heart surgery to correct a life-threatening condition. 'I'll tell you: I feel lucky to be alive right now,' Hoiberg said. 'I was lucky to find out about my heart condition when I did. So if you look at it that way, I do feel like I am a lucky person.' The bear comes from a 12-year-old Brooklyn Park boy whom Hoiberg befriended two seasons ago. Matthew Gamber -- who was born with a growth around his heart and underwent a liver transplant when he was six months old -- loaned Hoiberg the teddy bear that has accompanied him to the hospital for more than 100 surgical procedures in his short life."
- Ronald Tillery of Commercial-Appeal: "GM Chris Wallace acknowledged the importance of doubling their pleasure. Landing the No. 1 pick plus an opportunity to draft Rose could equal lines at the ticket window. 'That's part of his package,' Wallace said. 'That's something that would be taken into consideration. In the NBA, there are very few players that sell tickets. Now winning sells tickets rather than individual players unless you have a show stopper. In his case, (Rose) would be a big attraction here. No doubt about it.'"
- Alan Hahn of Newsday: "This will be the fifth time in the past six years that the Knicks will be in the NBA draft lottery, which will be at 8 o'clock tonight. They haven't won it since the inaugural one in 1985, which landed Patrick Ewing. In the previous two years, Knicks fans might have paid attention only because of morbid curiosity, because the Chicago Bulls had the right to swap positions with the Knicks as part of Isiah Thomas' infamous Eddy Curry deal. But this year, if you're looking for some optimism, look no further than this: You can argue that the odds are in favor of the Knicks' winning the first overall pick, though the lottery is weighed to favor the team with the worst record. The Knicks sit in the fifth spot -- historically one of the lucky spots. In the first 18 years in which the NBA conducted a weighted lottery drawing -- as opposed to the method of pulling envelopes from a hopper, which was done in the first five years -- teams in the third and fifth positions won the lottery four times each, the most of any spot."
- Jonathan Abrams of the Los Angeles Times: "Once again the Clippers' hopes depend on a ping-pong ball. The Clippers will learn their position in this year's NBA draft lottery tonight in Secaucus, N.J., with Coach Mike Dunleavy representing the organization. The lottery will set the top three picks in the June 26 draft. Dunleavy is not taking any lucky charms, but he does have one trick up his sleeve. 'I just got back from Italy,' Dunleavy said, where he scouted international players and joked, 'I saw the pope.'"
- Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "But when asked if this draft was stronger overall than the one last year, John Hammond said that was a 'discussion point.' Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the overall crop of prospects this year. That's why, considering the state of the team, if the Bucks don't jump up into the top two, they might give some serious thought to moving their pick. Hammond said he was not opposed to trading first-round draft choices. 'With our situation and where we're at as an organization today, I don't think we can be opposed to anything,' he said. 'We have t
o be open to any or all discussions. When we say we're going to explore all possibilities to improve this roster, you would have to be open-minded to anything, including maybe even including the draft pick.'" - John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Sometimes things don't work out according to plan, so it would be fitting -- and about as upside-down as everything else that has happened in the last seven months -- if the Bulls defied the odds and earned one of the top three picks. General manager John Paxson, though, isn't counting on it. He won't be attending the lottery proceedings tonight -- vice president Steve Schanwald will represent the team onstage -- and figures he'll be selecting in the back half of the lottery. 'This is all about odds and luck of the draw, and all we can do is sit back and watch,' Paxson said Monday.'"
- Dave D'Alessandro of The Star-Ledger: "Rod Thorn, a tad too modest to admit that he is a master poker devotee, understands odds. So let one thing be clear if a 100-to-1 long shot comes through for him tonight: Should he and the Nets be lucky enough to land one of the top three picks in the NBA Draft lottery, Thorn is going to grab his chips and cash out. Because he knows he'll never beat the odds like this ever again. 'I would think that if we did (get into the top three), we'd probably keep it,' the Nets president said yesterday. 'That would be the inclination, yes -- particularly if the player could be a future star. It's easier than to say, 'Well, we can trade that for A...' No. You've got to be pretty overwhelmed if you're going do that.'"
- Julian Garcia of the New York Daily News: "The odds are long for the Nets, but the New York Lottery motto, 'You've got to be in it to win it,' also applies to the NBA's version. That's why the Nets, who currently hold the 10th position in the draft, are holding out hope that they can steal the rights to the top pick in the NBA draft lottery in Secaucus Tuesday despite a 1.1% chance than they actually will. They'll even have co-owner Jay-Z representing them on stage to make sure they don't miss a beat."
- Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "The Pacers have a 0.8 percent chance of moving up to the No. 1 pick, a 0.9 percent chance of getting the No. 2 pick and a 1.2 percent chance of landing the No. 3. They also have a small chance of dropping to Nos. 12 or 13. Otherwise, they'll stick at 11. 'You just go there and hope for the best,' said Pacers president Larry Bird, who, along with general manager David Morway, will represent the team tonight in Secaucus, N.J. 'We know the odds are stacked against us. I don't want to move back, that's for sure.' Bird doesn't plan to carry a rabbit's foot or any other kind of good-luck charm."
- Scott Howard-Cooper of the Sacramento Bee: "The lottery arrives today with the Kings on a mathematical path to land the No. 12 pick in the draft June 26 -- barring a long-shot payoff that jumps them into the top three or the Warriors or Portland knocking them back a spot or two by drawing into royal-flush territory -- and facing options wrought with concern and great hope. Not the usual concern and hope that accompanies any pick that far into the first round, either. Options that might offer the great temptation of unique potential against the reality of obvious conflict. Intriguing options. ... All four possibilities -- Love, Batum, Westbrook and McGee -- are projected to go in the 8-to-14 range, with greater shifts possible once they start individual workouts that raise or lower draft stock. Some might even return to school. Or the Kings could beat massive odds, pull into the top three and not consider any of them, at which point the draft reaches an entirely different level of intrigue in Sacramento."
- Joe Freeman of The Oregonian: "The long-term rehabilitation of the Blazers received a boost last year when the franchise defied odds and won the lottery despite holding a 5.3 percent chance. Odds are even longer this year as the Blazers (41-41) have less than a 1 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick. There is less anticipation surrounding this year's lottery for the Blazers because the franchise features its most talented roster in years and because this year's NBA draft does not have two undisputed potential difference makers like last year when Greg Oden and Kevin Durant were available. Team president Larry Miller and general manager Kevin Pritchard will represent the Blazers at NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus, N.J."
- Dwight Jaynes of The Portland Tribune: "If Portland, or the Golden State Warriors, for that matter, pulls the top pick -- or even the No. 2 choice (it's basically a two-player show at the top of the draft), the Western Conference will continue to bury the weak East. That's why I think if Portland or Golden State captures a high pick, you'll see the NBA take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. Perhaps the league would finally change the playoff formula to not only get the best teams in the playoffs -- but to keep them out of the lottery."
- Eric Gilmore of the Contra Costa Times: "Can you feel it, Warriors fans? You know, NBA draft lottery fever. Put on your 'We Believe' T-shirts, grab a seat in front of the television tonight and let the pingpong ball magic unfold. For the 13th time in the past 14 seasons, this will be your team's excuse for postseason thrills. What could be more exciting than to see 14 assorted team executives or human good luck charms -- hello, Mitch Richmond -- squirm as their teams' draft fates unfold?"
Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
TRUEHOOP CONTRIBUTORS
Henry AbbottTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
J.A. AdandeTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Kevin ArnovitzTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chris BroussardTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chad FordTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
John HollingerTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chris SheridanTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Marc SteinTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
