The Draft Lottery is tomorrow and 13 of the 14 teams that didn’t make the playoffs are all vying for a chance at the number one pick. (Brooklyn traded their pick to Boston). How important is the #1 pick? Here are the number one picks and what has happened in their NBA career.
2007: Greg Oden. 105 NBA games, injury forced his retirement.
2008: Derrick Rose: 470 NBA games, Rookie of the Year, All- Star, league MVP, played in Conference Final and 41 playoff games.
2009: Blake Griffin: 471 NBA games, Rookie of the Year, All-Star, never played in a Conference Final but has 51 playoffs games under his belt.
2010: John Wall: 500 NBA games, All-Star, never played in a Conference Final but has played in 30 playoff games.
2011: Kyrie Irving: 381 NBA games, Rookie of the Year, All-Star, NBA champion, 42 playoff games.
2012: Anthony Davis: 335 NBA games, All-Star, one playoff appearance, 4 games.
2013: Anthony Bennett: 151 NBA games, lottery bust
2014: Andrew Wiggins: 245 NBA games, Rookie of the Year, no playoff appearances
2015: Karl Anthony Towns: 164 NBA games, Rookie of the Year, no playoff appearances
2016: Ben Simmons: no nba games injury.
2017: ???
In summary, 5 Rookies of the Year. 5 All-Stars. One game winning shot for a NBA title. Two players no longer in the NBA. The odds are with teams who get the #1 pick. More than likely they are going to get an All-Star player. But who needs that player most out of the 13 losers who didn’t make the playoffs and are watching LeBron James and Kevin Durant?
Here are the top 3
1. Dallas Mavericks: About to lose Dirk Nowitzki to retirement in a year. They need a replacement star. Not sold on Harrison Barnes being that guy.
30th: Free Throw Attempts, Offensive Rebounding, Defensive Rebounding, Total Rebounding, Blocks, Points, Fast Break Points. 29th: Pace, Field Goal Percentage, 3-Point Defense. 27th: Assists, Field Goal Defense. 25th Offensive Rating, Two-Point Shot Percentage.
Desperate for: Point Guard. Lonzo Ball anyone?
2. Orlando Magic: They haven’t been to the playoffs since Dwight Howard, meaning 2012. It’s been a long and hard 5 years of drafting average to below average. They need a star.
29th: Offensive Rating, 3-Point Percentage. 28th: Field Goal Percentage. 27th: Scoring, Free Throw Attempts. 26th: 2-Point Percentage. 25th: Free Throw Percentage, Field Goal Percentage Defense.
Desperate for: Point Guard Scoring. Markelle Fultz works.
3. Los Angeles Lakers: They have had high draft picks, same as Orlando. Their picks have shown to be above average players but nothing great. Magic Johnson is on the clock.
30th: Defensive Rating, Field Goal Percentage Defense, Starters points. 28th: Opponents points, Blocks. 26th: Defensive Rebounding, Assists, 3-Point Defense
Desperate for: True Point Guard ala Chris Paul who can dish and deliver on the dribble. LaVar Ball dreams are a Lakers must: the Prodigal Son, Lonzo Ball.
