Good morning, Winners! This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here’s Mike Sykes.
I’m sitting here trying to think of the right words to write to you today, as I reflect on the NBA draft lottery from the perspective of a miserable Wizards fan.
Well, that’s only partially true. I know the right words I would like to say to you. The only problem is they’re expletive-laden and would likely get me fired. This is a family-friendly publication, and I have bills to pay, so we can’t have that.
THE COLD TRUTH: The draft lottery is broken again and the NBA won’t fix it.
But there are some things you should know about me today.
Yes, I am crestfallen. Watching a team lose 64 games to get the 6th overall pick in the draft will do that to you. As a Wizards fan, I haven’t felt like this in a long time. Life as a fan of the Washington Basketball Team is typically miserable and despairing, but I have to say, folks, I haven’t felt this way in a long, long time. It’s been years. This has to be the franchise’s worst moment since Kelly Olynyk scored 26 points in a Game 7 to boot the team out of the 2017 playoffs. I don’t even think trading John Wall had me feeling this miserable.
There’s a key ingredient that was missing then, but seemed present now: Hope. Or, should I say, it was hope. It’s not really there anymore. But the team’s new regime, led by Will Dawkins, did a fantastic job of checking all the boxes to make me believe in such a thing again. I appreciate it.
But at least today, I realize that hope doesn’t really exist for me. I’m a Wizards fan — destined to be miserable until I simply just stop rooting for this cursed NBA basketball team.
I said I’m crestfallen. I’m also angry. Really, I’m scorned. Because I know the basketball gods hate me. I hate them, too, with all of my heart. The same way I’d hate any other irrational Laker fan, really. (Yes, the basketball gods are Lakers fans. This is how I know that.)
I wish them nothing but the worst. I hope they step on a Lego or stub their toe on a couch. I hope they spill their morning coffee on their laps while it’s still hot. I hope they catch a flat tire on whatever highways they drive on in the basketball afterlife. They truly deserve all of that and more.
I’m not even mad the Wizards are picking sixth. I knew that was going to happen. Just look at the team’s history — I could never truly believe that luck would be on Washington’s side.
Nah. What has me hot is that the Mavericks won it. The No. 1 pick could’ve gone to the Jazz or the Hornets or even, say, the Trail Blazers and I would’ve been fine. But Nico Harrison gets to make this pick? That man intentionally sabotaged his own team after it made the NBA Finals one calendar year ago. Somehow, Dallas gets a Get Out of Jail Free card, and the Wizards can’t even post bail? That’s not right, man.
Not only that, but the Spurs, who won the VICTOR WEMBANYAMA lottery just two years ago, get the No. 2 pick when they’ve got the man who will win the next 15 Defensive Player of the Year awards just because he simply exists.
And then, last but certainly not least, we have the Philadelphia 76ers, who sucked so much back in the mid-2010s that the NBA decided it needed to flatten the odds so that teams would never tank again after 2019. The Sixers still came out of that muck with Joel Embiid, who won an MVP two seasons ago. Somehow, the team still sucks. It gets rewarded by the system it shattered. The legacy of Sam Hinkie, ladies and gents.
There’s no such thing as “deserved” when it comes to this stuff. It’s a lottery. Everything is left up to chance. And, no, the system isn’t “rigged.” But for a system that’s not rigged (allegedly, but don’t ask LeBron James about it), the NBA sure does pull off a whole lot of miracles. I don’t think the WWE could write a script this good.
The Cavs lose LeBron James and, somehow, get three of the next four top overall picks in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The Hornets are in limbo in 2012 and potentially about to be sold, but they miraculously draft Anthony Davis in 2012 with the No. 1 pick. Anthony Davis gets traded in 2019, but the Pelicans jump up and win the lottery to draft Zion Williamson. Now, here we are today. The Mavericks are somehow the luckiest team in the world.
Curse you, basketball gods. That’s all I have to say.
Last night sucked
In more serious and somber news, Jayson Tatum suffered what seemed to be a devastating injury in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Knicks on Monday. The man was in tears after. He needed to be transported via wheelchair through the tunnels of Madison Square Garden.
EVERYTHING WE KNOW: Here’s all the information we have on Tatum’s injury so far.
We don’t know what this injury is yet and I won’t speculate here — I’m sure you’ve all seen quite enough of that online at this point. All I’ll say is that this doesn’t look great and certainly looks like something that will be long-term.
That’s never something you want to see with anyone, but especially not Tatum.
Everyone talks about who the “Face of the League” might be and Tatum has always seemingly been the only up-and-coming player (is it still fair to call him that?) who has truly embraced that. Losing Tatum long-term would be a huge loss for the NBA. He’s one of the league’s best talents on one of its premier teams.
Get well soon, JT. We’ll miss you.
Nico Harrison won
Getting a live look at the Mavericks’ brass after the team won the No. 1 overall pick is…something else, man. This was so strange to watch.
Nico Harrison jumped out of his seat for joy. Cory Woodroof says he was the biggest winner of lottery night and, yeah, I have to agree.
Can’t say I blame him. I’d be thrilled, too, if I were bailed out after making one of the worst decisions in NBA history. Honestly, it might not be the worst decision in NBA history anymore. It might just be a poor one.
Good luck, Mavs fans. Hopefully, the team doesn’t draft Tre Johnson at No. 1. Sorry. That’s just me hating.
Quick hits: The NFL schedule is coming … Jalen Brunson’s kind words … and more
— Here’s our NFL schedule live blog again. Keep it locked here for updates throughout the day.
— Here’s Charles Curtis with more on Jalen Brunson’s kind words to Jayson Tatum after his injury. What a guy.
— Here’s our latest post-lottery NBA mock draft from Bryan Kalbrosky. He’s got Flagg at No. 1.
— The NFL’s international games are here. Charles Curtis has details.
— The Preakness is this weekend! Prince Grimes has you covered with betting odds and more here.
— The Spurs would honestly be a perfect Giannis Antetokounmpo landing spot. Bryan makes a great case here.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks for reading. Peace.
-Sykes ✌️
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