Wizards get third pick in the NBA Draft Lottery!
NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver pulled the cards out of the envelopes at the NBA Draft Lottery tonight and the Washington Wizards took third place, down one spot from their "natural" place at second, having had the second-worst overall record in the NBA last season.
Zachary Leonsis, son of Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, represented the Wizards. [Ted was in the studio, watching.] Maybe the Wizards should just send Irene Pollin every year, since the widow of Abe Pollin was on hand to see Washington win the lottery two years ago.
The whole lottery played out this way:
14. Houston Rockets
13. Phoenix Suns
12. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Portland Trail Blazers
10. New Orleans Hornets
09. Detroit Pistons
08. Toronto Raptors
07. Golden State Warriors
06. Brooklyn Nets [Portland]
05. Sacramento Kings
04. Cleveland Cavaliers
03. Washington Wizards
02. Charlotte Bobcats
01. New Orleans Hornets
The conspiracy theorists will tell you this is the NBA making things up to the Hornets after the league screwed New Orleans on the Chris Paul trade before the season. In any case, the Wizards have a top three pick, but not the first overall pick. That means the Wiz will not get Anthony Davis, but they will get either Bradley Beal or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, provided they don't trade down. My view is the Wizards should take Bradley Beal if he is there at three because he's got the sweet outside shot and good ball-handling that the team needs. I love MKG and the ferocious, enthusiastic way he plays basketball. I love the way MKG attacks the hoop and runs the floor and plays defense. But Beal also plays defense well, has a good motor and was the offensive center of his team at Florida. The difference between the two players [MKG is a quick forward and Beal is a Ray Allen-type shooting guard] is outside shooting. MKG doesn't shoot the ball well outside the paint and that's a big problem for Washington because he would be another bad outside shooter on a team full of bad outside shooters. Beal will stretch the defense out and knock down open shots when he gets open. Playing alongside John Wall, whose incomparable speed draws double-and-triple teams every time he effortlessly blows past a defender, Beal would get lots of good looks. He would be an upgrade over Jordan Crawford as a shooter, ball-handler and defender. I think Beal is no worse than the third best player in this Draft -- behind only Davis and perhaps MKG -- and he could be second-best.
I hope the Washington Wizards select Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal.
