Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry, left, hugs David Griffin, executive vice president of basketball operations, after it was announced the team had won the NBA draft lottery. By Ben Golliver Ben Golliver NBA reporter Email Bio Follow May 15 at 11:16 AM CHICAGO — The hostage-taking commenced promptly at 6 p.m. Tuesday deep in the bowels of the Hilton Chicago.
The 14 white lottery balls, marked with simple dark numerals, were stored in a case with an orange seal. Those balls had been weighed, measured and certified in advance, and the seal remained intact until DiSabatino cut it off with a pair of scissors to begin the drawing, which was videotaped and later shared publicly.
Under the new draft format, the league’s three worst teams each held a 14 percent chance to claim the top pick, meaning the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns each had 140 numerical combinations. The Wizards, with the sixth-worst record, held a 9 percent chance of the top spot and 126 combinations. The Pelicans, with 6 percent odds, had just 84 winning combinations.
Shepherd, in charge of the Wizards since Ernie Grunfeld’s April firing, knew his organization was just one number away from landing Williamson, who would instantly erase the anguish of a disappointing 32-win season that saw all-star guard John Wall lost to a season-ending Achilles’ injury that could keep him out most or all of next year, too. Fernandez, a 13-year-old lacrosse player at Landon Prep, had a deer antler keychain tucked inside his jacket pocket for luck.
Pelinka, whose Lakers had just a 9.4 percent chance of moving up into one of the four spots after winning 37 games, pushed his palms together in a prayer motion when he secured the fourth spot. L.A.’s big move up was made possible by a redraw, as one of Memphis’ combinations were selected for the second time.
Duke's Zion Williamson is the big prize in June's NBA draft. Gentry initially pretended that the Pelicans would keep their options open with the top pick, before gushing about Williamson’s team-first mentality and positionless game without much prodding. The coach argued that his franchise’s win was good for the NBA because the Pelicans are a small-market team that hadn’t intentionally tanked.
I say he opts out. He wont go to the hell hole that NOLA is just like AD wanting out
Bond never touched = connections
New Orleans could put Jeanie Buss on the public hot seat by publicly offering to trade Zion to the Lakers for Lebron and 4 pick. Just for the mind f**k I hope that the PelicansNBA do this.
Si cool
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