Open Thread: 2011 NBA Draft Lottery
May 17, 2011While We’re Waiting… “What’s Not to Like?”
May 18, 2011Validated by Ernst and Young, presented by Nicholas Gilbert, and witnessed by several select members of local sports elite, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the NBA world leaving the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery with the first and fourth overall selections in the upcoming draft.
With the two overall selections, the team had been given a 22.7 percent chance at landing the first-overall selection. Mathematically, the Cavaliers should have received the second and eighth selections overall – the selection received from the Los Angeles Clippers in return for Mo Williams, with a 2.8 percent chance of being the first overall leapfrogged the team’s own pick which had a 19.9 percent chance.
To be held on June 23 in Newark, New Jersey, general manager Chris Grant and the rest of the team’s front office will now be tasked with ensuring that the Wine and Gold land the pieces which they feel will best help right the ship – Grant has long said that the team is confident in their potential selections wherever they may fall.
It has been widely speculated that Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert will do what is necessary to better the team’s chances of improving between now and the exact time names are called with the Cavaliers logo on the backdrop, but for now, at least we know what cards the team has been dealt and Chris Grant can rest relatively easy.
Thank you, Los Angeles.
54 Comments
Interesting. He easily looks quick enough to play the 3 in the NBA from what I’ve seen, but I guess the scouts know something I don’t know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTaOwRLXPV4
Anyone who thinks that Derrick Williams is not one of the top two players in the draft is either overthinking it, or totally blind. He will be a great player in the NBA, better than all the European projects, regardless of what Jonas Valanciunas’s rate of improvement at adjusted +/- is, and how likely it is for Bismack Biyombo to develop a baby hook. Maybe there’s a little hope for Minnesota to make a characteristic terrible mistake and Utah to draft a pg, leaving us with Irving/Williams. That would be sweeheehheeet.
Little Wahoo, you made my day with that.
I’d love for Minny to skip over Williams & I’m thinking Utah will take Knight to replace DWill, but I’d also be fine if we ended up having to take Kanter.
I realize he’s not proven due to only playing overseas, but if he was good enough for Kentucky to recruit him I’m assuming he has something there.
There’s no reason to thank the Clippers; we took Baron Davis’ horrible contract in hopes that this would happen.