The 2009 NBA draft lottery was held May 19, before this blog was launched. I thought it’d be a good idea to recap the results and analyze what could happen. Here is how the teams will pick on June 25:
1. Los Angeles Clippers
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Washington Wizards
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. New Jersey Nets
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Phoenix Suns
The Clippers won the top pick despite having the third-best chance based on 2008-09 records. The Kings, with the best chance at getting No. 1, and the Wizards, with the second best, fell disappointingly to the fourth and fifth picks respectively. Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin (Getty Images photo below) is a virtual lock to go to L.A. at No. 1
Other top prospects include 19-year-old Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio, UConn center Hasheem Thabeet, and Arizona State guard James Harden to name a few. Here are some mock drafts from around the Web, note the typical low numbers of college seniors in the first round:
- ESPN
- Draft Express
- SI.com
- NBADraft.net
- Inside Hoops
- Hoops Hype
Arin Karimian
