Wizards Win Draft Lotto in Shameful Fashion (Tanking) - Draft Notes

(Photo from AtTheBox)
Bleh. I hate this. Washington had Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and Antawn Jamison and traded them all away to make cap space and tank the rest of the season for a high draft pick. One down, one to go. They get the #1 pick even though the New Jersey Nets, genuinely terrible, were trying to win games til the very end of the season... and they get the third pick. But I won't rant this entire post. Here's the official draft order for the 2010 NBA draft starting with the first pick:

1. Washington Wizards
2. Philadelphia 76ers
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Minnesota
5. Sacramento
6. Golden State
7. Detroit
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. Utah Jazz (from NY Knicks)
10. Indiana
11. New Orleans
12. Memphis
13. Toronto
14. Houston

Then the playoff teams:

15. Milwaukee (from Chicago)
16. Minnesota (from Charlotte)
17. Chicago (from Milwaukee)
18. Miami
19. Boston
20. San Antonio
21. Oklahoma
22. Portland
23. Minnesota (from Utah)
24. Atlanta
25. Memphis (from Denver)
26. Oklahoma (from Phoenix)
27. New Jersey (from Dallas)
28. Memphis (From LA Lakers)
29. Orlando
30. Washington (from Cleveland)

So if you're keeping count, Minnesota has 3 first rounders (and 2 in the second round), Memphis has 3 first rounders, and Oklahoma, Washington and New Jersey have 2 first rounders. Maybe Minnesota will draft 3 more PGs and one will stay abroad cuz he doesn't want to play in crappy Minnesota.

Obvious question: What does Washington do with the first pick and Gilbert Arenas. Pick John Wall and have him play alongside Arenas, pick Wall and trade Arenas, or pass on Wall and get SG Evan Turner? According to Wizards president: “Gilbert is still with us. He’s been down at our gym, working out and getting ready. The more good players you have, the better.” Also, does this somehow get Washington in the Lebron sweepstakes? They've got the money, and now they could have the next Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook type PG in John Wall (provided they don't make a Kwame Brown pick).

Other questions/comments:

This looks like a pretty decent draft where the top 8-10 picks can get some quality players, unlike last year. This is based on my little knowledge of the NCAA and watching March Madness, but it looks like struggling teams can improve their rosters.

But if the Warriors draft another G/F I will laugh.

I feel for Toronto, they're about to lose Bosh and with the 14th pick, that can't be enough to lure a quality free agent looking to win. What's so appetizing about Andrea Bargnani, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jose Calderon, and... DeMar DeRozan... yeahhhhh no.

Utah will get a nice pick thanks to New York trading it to them 6 years ago and never improving their record. They are thanking their unlucky stars they didn't get a top 3 pick though.

Oklahoma can add more youth to their youthful roster with the 21st and 26th pick.