Battle For Ohio

By now, everyone know that the Cavs won the NBA Draft Lottery.  But no one seems to realize that the ping pong ball that got them the #1 pick was actually the Clippers pick that the Cavs got in the Baron Davis/Mo Williams trade.  HA!

The Cavs actual pick was at #4, which would have royally sucked if not for the grace and incompetence of the Clippers to trade an unprotected lottery pick just to get rid of Davis’ contract.

So the good news is the Cavs have the #1 and #4 picks in the draft.  The Bad news is that there is no Jared Sullinger or Harrison Barnes to pick.  This was labeled a weak year for the draft and it got even weaker when guys like Sullinger and Barnes decided to stay in school, presumably because of a likely NBA lockout this year.  Dammit!

Instead of potentially looking at Barnes and Kyrie Irving, the Cavs are now weighing other options like Enes Kanter and two Lithuanian guys whose names I won’t even try to spell.

There is no doubt that they’ll pick Irving with the first pick.  He’s the consensus best player in this draft, despite only playing 12 games last year.  He’s quick, he can shoot, pass, and run the pick and roll like a pro.  If there is a silver lining to this weak draft class, it’s that Irving probably would be the #1 pick regardless of who was in this class.  He’s the best PG in the draft since Chris Paul.

Either way, this draft along withe the $14M trade exception the Cavs have mean that this team will look very different next season and it could potentially have a pair of 19 year old studs to build the team around.  A good start for a franchise that needs it after LeBum disgraced the city and himself with his surrender to the Celtics last year and his humiliating decision show on ESPN.

I like the future outlook for the Cavs, if only the NBA didn’t suck as league.