On Tuesday night, 14 NBA teams will learn their fate when it comes to draft position as the Draft Lottery, the most exciting ping-pong ball related activity in major professional sports, takes place. The lottery has always been a big deal, especially in years in which there’s a clear generational talent up for grabs as the No. 1 pick. The lottery can be a turning point for a franchise, but it can also be painful.
Dating back to the first lottery in 1985, there has been excitement, disappointment, and controversy. For every team like the Knicks that wins the right to take Patrick Ewing, there’s a team like the Pacers that left feeling robbed. Part of the lottery is having representatives for all 14 teams in attendance, learning the fate of their team in the draft. On Monday, the NBA released the full list of team representatives for the 2017 Draft Lottery, which includes a mix of current players, coaches, GMs, executives, and owners.
Among the highlights on the list of representatives include Devin Booker of the Suns who will also be bringing a young Special Olympics athlete with him. The NBA recently made the rule that the person officially representing the team has to be an employee of some form — aka, the Nick Gilbert rule — but Booker will be able to bring his guest in alongside him. Here is the full list of team representatives, ranked from least inspiring for their team’s chances to most.
14. Wyc Grousbeck (Celtics): I get it. The Celtics are actually still in the playoffs (at least through Monday night) so you aren’t going to send a player or a coach, but sending the owner isn’t fun. No one wants to see the co-owner of the Celtics excited about the No. 1 pick.
13. Jeff Bower (Pistons): He’s the GM. This is fine, but I’d rather see Stan Van Gundy up there smashing Diet Cokes by the case waiting for the pick announcements.
12. Rich Cho (Hornets): I’m most excited to see the pictures from wherever Rich Cho goes to eat in New York after the lottery ends on his Instagram page. There’s also a strong chance that he’s the only one in attendance in a tracksuit (Jordan Brand of course) and not an actual suit.
11. Dave Joerger (Kings): The other one that could possibly wear a tracksuit to this event is Joerger. He’s not very exciting, though.
10. Frank Vogel (Magic): The Magic still don’t have a GM, so poor Frank has to go to this thing.
9. Alvin Gentry (Pelicans): Alvin Gentry is a really nice man, but, again, none of these coaches are very excitable personalities.
8. Gary Harris (Nuggets): I guess Jokic didn’t feel like going, but he would have been way more fun as a player representative because he’d be up there talking smack to Embiid.
7. Michael Finley (Mavs): I really liked Finley as a kid, so, there’s that. He’s not super exciting, but I guess Dirk was busy/didn’t want to go.
6. Andrew Wiggins (Timberwolves): I just hope Andrew Wiggins smiles a lot, because he has a delightful smile. (Remember his draft night grin?)
5. Alonzo Mourning (Heat): It’s always good to see ‘Zo anywhere, so him being at the lottery is great, even if the Heat will likely be off the board early.
4. Magic Johnson (Lakers): This is going to be the most nervous man in the room on Tuesday night, because if the Lakers drop out of the top 3, that pick transfers to Philly. I can’t wait to watch his facial expressions.
3. Devin Booker (Suns): The only person on the stage that has dropped 70 points in a game, and there’s also the awesome story of him bringing the young Special Olympian.
2. Walt Frazier (Knicks): Only here for Clyde’s suit game, which will be impeccable as always. I hope he brings the A-game with him for the Knicks.
1. Joel Embiid (Sixers): I have high hopes for lottery Embiid. He might just start chanting “Trust The Process” by himself or show up with a two liter bottle of a pre-mixed Shirley Temple. Also, if the Lakers drop to four, sending Philly their pick, and the Sixers jump to one he might run up and do a DX crotch chop in Magic Johnson’s face.
