The spectacle that is the NBA Draft gets a nice warm up act with the lottery show. What was once simply the pulling a ping-pong ball has turned into an extravagant display of young stars, wide-eyed coaches, and stars of yesteryear. The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery is no different, and now we have a full list of who will represent each team.
on-stage reps list for 2017 #NBADraft lottery include: Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Michael Finley, Andrew Wiggins, Alonzo Mourning, Joel Embiid pic.twitter.com/qwnN8pW7gN
— Rob Lopez (@R0BaTO) May 15, 2017
Current players Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Harris, and Devin Booker will represent their respective teams. Coaches include Orlando’s Frank Vogel, Sacramento’s Dave Joerger, and New Orleans’ Alvin Gentry. Gentry recently was given a vote of confidence by ownership, so he will have his fingers crossed for a high draft choice. Front office figures/executives in attendance will be Wyc Grousbeck (Boston), Rich Cho (Charlotte), Jeff Bower (Detroit), and Magic Johnson (Los Angeles). Alonzo Mourning will be at the lottery for the Miami Heat, Michael Finley for the Dallas Mavericks, and Walt Frazier for the New York Knicks.
The NBA Draft Lottery is like the NBA Finals for “tanking” teams. The Sixers, Lakers, Suns, and Kings have put themselves in this situation with hopes of landing a franchise altering stud. In many cases, these teams are looking for additional young star power. Others are just in need of a situational piece to prepare for a playoff run next season. The Pistons and Pelicans are two teams who fall into this category. They do not have high chances of landing a top prospect, but are more likely to land an immediate quality rotational player.
The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery will take place May 16th at 8pm EST on ESPN.
