NBA Lottery: Booking Edition

 The NBA Lottery is on May 16th.  This is a big lottery- not only is their a franchise player in Victor Wembanyama , but the top of the draft has some players that people are raving about:  Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, the Thompson Twins.  I don't think the lottery is rigged.... but IF it was, here's how I'd book things.

Victor Wembanyama... a franchise player for some team.

Note:  There's one NBA franchise that I am fan of (The Cleveland Cavaliers) and a couple I despise (Miami Heat).  Outside of that, my rule is to support teams that haven't won the title in a long time, unless I have a reason to support or not support this team

My Crazy Dream Booking: Winners of the lottery- Portland, Indiana, Utah, go 1-3 in some order; Oklahoma City goes 4th

Portland, Indiana, and Utah are all teams that have not won the NBA title since I started following basketball.  None of the teams have tried to tank, and they have a stable franchise that should allow a Wembanyama to flourish.

OKC is in the same boat, but OKC is a newer franchise who moved from Seattle, so I have less sympathy for them.

  
What Should Happen: Winners of the lottery:  San Antonio, Detroit, Orlando, Portland

The bottom five franchises all have a 10% chance or more to win the lottery.  San Antonio has the worst talent, but they are a model of franchise stability, not to mention the greatest coach of all time (IMHO)

What Will Happen: Winners of the lottery:  Charlotte, Houston, Detroit, Chicago

Charlotte is up for sale.  If I was the NBA and the lottery was rigged, I'd make sure Charlotte got the franchise player to raise the selling price (and the money the other owners would get from the sale).

Houston is a major market that is in the middle of a rebuild.  Detroit has young talent that one more player could elevate.  Chicago is a major market with a good team- and owes Orlando their top pick if it's not 1-4.  

What I’m Terrified Will Happen: Dallas, New Orleans, Charlotte, Washington

Dallas and New Orleans have both drafted franchise players (Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson), and can't make the playoffs.  Seems overkill to give either team Wembayana.  Charlotte is a bad franchise.  Washington is boring and on a treadmill.

If I Was Booking This And I Hated You: The Lakers get Victor Wembanyama

This isn't technically possible.  But the Lakers have over a 50 year history of getting players they have no business getting.  

Thoughts with Whiskey- 2023/05/07

Haven't posted in a while, and drinking a Buffalo Trace Bourbon to end the week and ponder some random stray thoughts...

* I don't even care enough about the Royal Family to make fun of them.  If you have an opinion about them, one way or another, great.  

* Overdue to get back on eating healthier...  with the weather getting warmer, going to try making fruit smoothies for breakfast.  Adding some spinach for health and peanut butter for protein and fat.  

* Hated seeing the Cavs lose badly in the first round.  I know they are a young team, and I hope they learn from this and come back next year.  

* Never would have guessed that James Harden would thrive in the playoffs.  If the 76ers get to the Finals, it elevates his place in NBA history.

* The national debt is over 31.5 trillion dollars.  And yet no one in Washington DC is serious about addressing this.  Which means one of two things- either they believe the debt isn't a real problem, or they think it's a problem that the cure (higher taxes and spending cuts) is so much worse that they can't apply it.  I think it's a serious problem that needs to be addressed immediately, and I hope I am wrong.  

* Finished season 3 of The Mandalorian and Season 2 of Single Drunk Female.  Looking for a new show to binge.  Any recommendations?