Wednesday, May 22, 2013

5/22 (Wizards Lottery!) Quickie

Guess I'm still in shock that the/my Wizards bounced from No. 8 in the NBA Draft order to No. 3.

For months -- since October or November, really -- I have been obsessing over the chance they have to draft Otto Porter, only to watch his draft stock skyrocket away from the Wizards' position.

Now, they have a shot.

I still think that there is a reasonable chance that Cleveland skips Nerlens Noel and drafts Otto Porter -- as weird as that might be to draft someone as sensible as Porter No. 1 overall.

But in the absence of the Cavs foiling Wizards fans for the umpteenth time -- I guess we got them last year when we got Bradley Beal, a player they coveted -- my Wiz just might land Porter.

It feels too good to be true -- that would be two straight years of ideal draftees, three in four years.

It actually makes up for the bungling of Jan Vesely in 2011 and the various other draft failures, in virtually every scenario other than the player falling into our lap as no-brainers (Wall, Beal).

That is the NBA Lottery at its best: Giving fans of largely hopeless franchises a boost of hope.

As I write in today's Morning Win column for USA TODAY Sports, I think that hope should extend to Cavs fans that bringing in Noel, combined with the rest of the talent (plus the cap space), might be enough to lure LeBron back to Cleveland after he finishes collecting rings in Miami.

-- D.S.

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