Tuesday, May 20, 2014

5/20 Lottery Quickie

*I have become so conditioned -- institutionalized -- to get excited for the NBA Draft Lottery (aka "our playoffs" for Wizards fans) that it's weird to not be involved tonight.

This year's edition has at least three (but I'd argue five) potential franchise-changers: Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid (plus Dante Exum and Noah Vonleh), and a slew of players with potential to be playoff rotation contributors down the line, if not starters on playoff teams.

(Thought experiment: Five years from now, how many games would a team whose starting five was Exum, Wiggins, Parker, Vonleh and Embiid win? I'll say at least 50.)

Anyway, it's a big night for bottom-feeders -- but, for once, not for Wizards fans.

*After watching the Spurs hammer the Thunder last night, "Spurs in 5" still sounds right.

*California Chrome/Triple Crown Watch: The nasal strip was approved, for obvious (commercial) reasons. Now the Belmont resumes being a must-see event.

*Name to Know: Lucy Li, the 11-year-old who qualified for the LPGA's US Women's Open. Lucy rules! (And maybe I'm just saying that because my own daughter is named Lucy!)

*Prediction: Kevin Ollie will be in the NBA before his 5-year extension at UConn runs out.

*NFL Draft moved from NYC to another city, rotating annually? Yes, please.

-- D.S.

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