Tuesday, May 18, 2010

05/18 Quickie: Lottery, Kobe, Hanley

As a long-time (long-suffering) Wizards/Bullets fan, I have an unhealthy obsession with the NBA Draft Lottery. Maybe that's because it is the Wizards fans' playoffs, perennially. (And, my god: No team has had worse Lottery luck.)

So tonight's Lottery is, of course, an Event, leading today's SN column. But mostly because the prize is John Wall, the most electrifying guard in the draft since Allen Iverson, a player who can instantly make a franchise must-see. Not sure if a player in the Lottery has been this big since LeBron.

With the 5th-best chance, I'm quite sure that the Wizards won't get him. I think he ends up with the Nets, if only because Mikhail Prokhorov will be in attendance, and that guy gets what he wants. (Don't listen to the folks arguing for Evan Turner; just draft Wall and sort it out.)

My favorite part about the Wizards is that even if they hold their position, it is regarded as a 2-person draft at best (Wall/Turner), with 2 more elite talents (Favors/Cousins), then a total crapshoot. There will be the Wiz, picking 5th. They could have had Rubio or Evans or Curry.

Meanwhile, Kobe's knee looks just fine. The Magic better hit a few more 3s if they don't want to be finished in this series. And Hanley Ramirez just torched his rep, because there is nothing -- nothing -- that fans hate more than "lollygagging."

See the complete column here. There's a lot more in there today. More later.

-- D.S.

2 comments:

Chris Migliaccio said...

Oden and Durant were a far bigger deal than Wall - people tanked hardcore for both. But Wall probably slides in after them and LeBron in the last decade.

Michael W said...

Well Shanoff, you certainly can't bitch about bad lottery luck now.