Post by brajense on Dec 29, 2006 18:30:00 GMT -5
Memphis- The end of the ABCA season has come once again. This is the time of the year where playoff teams see what they are made of, and where non-playoff teams try to put together a better team to try to reach the postseason next year. “Fortunes” can be won and lost every year in a bitter sweet process known as the draft lottery. The draft lottery is where the non-playoff teams, or teams with a non-playoff team draft pick, find out where they will be picking in the upcoming rookie draft. The golden prize this year is 22 year old 6’8” guard Lebron James. The frontrunners in the James sweepstakes are the Memphis Grizzlies, the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers, the Seattle SuperSonics, the New Jersey Nets, the Golden State Warriors, and the Boston Celtics. There are very heavy odds that one of these teams will come up with the first selection in the ABCA Draft and will inevitably choose the standout All-American James. The team with the heaviest odds and the worst record this season are the Memphis Grizzlies, who finished the year at 19-63. The team with the next best odds would be the Seventy-Sixers, then the Seattle Supersonics. The New Jersey Nets hold the 4th best shot at the #1 selection, and the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics are tied for the 5th spot as of now. When asked about his team’s chances on landing the next big thing in Lebron James, Memphis GM Brajense had this to say, “Lebron is a phenomenal athlete and basketball player, and I’m sure he’s going to look good in Philly or Seattle.” “So does this mean you will not be selecting James #1?” “No, it just means that I feel Philly or Seattle will win the lotto this year, because winning the draft lottery with the best odds is seemingly impossible to me.” So there you have it, Memphis GM not so excited about his chances, although he did mention that “consolation prizes” Luol Deng, Andrew Bogut, Brandon Roy, and Shaun Livingston all are very nice young players in their own right. So while some people are anxiously awaiting the NBA Finals to crown this year’s ABCA Champion, I am waiting for what is in store after that….The ABCA Draft Lotto.
