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The day is finally upon us. Starting at 8 p.m. this evening, the order for the 2017 NBA Draft will be revealed on ESPN. This year’s draft lottery doesn’t necessary have the future of the Sixers franchise hanging in the balance, but a high pick would allow the team to fill out their star studded young core. And if things go wrong tonight, that probably means Boston Celtics fans just got even more insufferable.
If you need a primer for the lottery and all 28 possible draft outcomes for the Sixers, we wrote about it yesterday afternoon. A .38 percent chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick via the swap with Sacramento and the No. 4 overall isn’t so bad!
Let’s check in with some of the more notable lottery team blogs to see how they’re getting ready for the big night.
Lakers
Pelinka has spoken in the past about having plans for whether or not the Lakers keep their pick. They have to. Finding out they don’t have such a fallback plan would be exponentially more concerning than losing the pick itself (and the 2019 first-rounder) on Tuesday night.
Moving forward, a world in which the Lakers don’t have to venture back into the lottery seems like something fans would certainly be interested in.
Knicks
Yes, Knicks legend and current Knicks announcer Walt “Clyde” Frazier will be representing the Knicks at the Draft Lottery, and until proven otherwise, I am now 100 percent sure that the Knicks will get the top overall pick.
But here’s the hard part — Clyde, a man as famous for his quirky suits as his prodigious playing career, will need to pick out the perfect get-up to luck the Knicks into Markelle Fultz.
I’m a big proponent of the cow suit myself.
Kings
We’re Due Some Lotto Luck - Babygiraffe, Sactown Royalty
To put it mildly, the Kings and their long-suffering fans are due some luck. We can’t win the lottery this year because of past foolish maneuvers, but even moving up and swapping back with Philadelphia would still be a win. The best case scenario is the 76ers gaining the first overall pick and Sacramento sliding just behind them with the second selection, and considering the lack of luck we’ve experienced over the past 32 years, that’s exactly what Kings fans deserve.
I do feel for the Kings fans. They don’t deserve the incompetency of their front office/ownership. But a one for two pick swap where the Sacramento Kings come away with UCLA’s Lonzo Ball has everyone walking away happy. For Babygiraffe’s (?) sake, lets hope things fall that way.
Mavericks
What if the Mavericks won the lottery? - Sam Guertler, Mavs Moneyball
Finally, if the Mavs won the draft lottery, it would mean fans should approach the next few years with cautious optimism. For every Anthony Davis and LeBron James, there is an Anthony Bennett and Greg Oden. Even Derrick Rose, a former No. 1 and the youngest player to ever win the MVP award, had his promising career derailed by injuries.
See you all tonight!