Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Nick Gilbert and the Cleveland Cavaliers have beaten the NBA lottery odds again.
The Cavaliers won the lottery for the second time in three years Tuesday, giving them the No. 1 pick for the June 27 draft.
Gilbert, owner Dan Gilbert’s bowtie-wearing 16-year-old son, was on stage for another victory. After he won it in 2011, the Cavs used the pick to take eventual Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving.
ESPN: Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Lottery, Magic get 2nd pick
Let me start by saying, I am not one of those crazy moonbats that think the NBA is all pre-scripted and David Stern is out to get the Boston Celtics like some fans (and scary enough, some writers on Celtics blogs). The idea of fixing games all for the purpose of generating more income is just a foolish concept and probably illegal on so many levels. On that note however, I have ALWAYS been very suspicious of the NBA Lottery process. The lottery just never seems to be legitimate and always seems to have some story behind the team getting the top prizes of the draft, whether it was Seattle/OKC getting a franchise player for their new city to come in a year, the Bulls landing hometown hero Derrick Rose with a 1.8% chance of landing that pick, or last night when the Cavs won the lottery for the second time in three years after Lebron made a mockery of them.
People cried fowl after the Cavs won the lottery the first time, thinking it was all just too perfect of a story that the Cavs would win the lottery the year after Lebron bent them over, but now a second time in three years? Sounds real hairy to me especially given the teams that really needed the franchise player (Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix) lost out while the team that has two in Irving and Waiters will now land a third and will match up really well with Miami….oh wait another conspiracy?
The NBA lottery reeks of conspiracy based on one major premise to me…the fact that the lottery itself is conducted in a locked, sealed room off limits to everyone . Nobody knows what goes on in there, and the NBA has known this for years now and have chosen to do nothing about it to eliminate fans suspicions. What is the big secret that we have to hide it? Would it not be better for ratings to have the ping pong balls pop up on live television, and when those first few teams come in, everyone is on the edge of their seat? If the NBA was truly out to make as much money as possible, this would be a ratings dream but considering they still refuse to do it, one has to wonder what the secret is. Is the lottery really just a chance for David Stern to pick and choose who gets the best players that will make for the best storylines or is this just another blowhard article?
The Links:
ESPN Boston: Someone to lean on? | ESPN Boston: Summer romance: A Gordan swap? | CSNNE: Blakely: Rivers returning brings stability to Celtics | CSNNE: The night the Celtics landed fifth pick in the draft lottery | Boston Herald: Danny Ainge evaluates all options
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