2015 NBA Draft Lottery at Barclays Center

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THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH  and  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

Home of the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery

New York Knicks anticipate having the best night of their season.

In the first ever NBA lottery, each team's logo was placed into an over sized envelope.  The envelopes in turn were placed in an over sized Bingo style spinning barrel.  Once mixed to Commissioner David Stern's satisfaction, he began the process of determining the order of selection for the June draft.  The last two envelopes remaining in the barrel belonged to the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.

Commissioner Stern reached in once more, and opened the envelope containing the Indiana Pacers logo.  Attending on behalf of the Knicks was then GM Dave DeBusschere, whom triumphantly pounded his fist on the table knowing the Knicks had just won the first ever NBA draft lottery.  

David Stern then performed the formality of reaching in the barrel one last time to reveal a Knicks logo, winners of the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA June draft.

Of course, the Knicks selected Georgetown center, Patrick Ewing, and the rest is history as they say...

The conspiracy theorists claim the Knicks envelope was placed in a freezer so that Commissioner Stern could distinguish their envelope from all the rest, and award the struggling NBA charter franchise the #1 pick.

With a 17-65 record, the New York Knicks only won 20.7% of their regular season games.  Tonight will represent the best part of their season.  They just so happen to have a 20% chance of landing the #1 overall pick in the upcoming June NBA Draft, and can do no worse than securing the #5 overall pick.

Steve Mills will be the Knicks representative at this year's ping pong ball extravaganza.  My first question is why?  My next question is, why is Steve Mills still employed by the Knicks?  Then I'd like to know why the hell Phil Jackson hasn't fired him yet?  

And now..., and now....!  Steve Mills and IsiahThomas work in the same building again!

Does anyone get the impression that if Phil Jackson doesn't win the #1 or at least the #2 pick, that he's as good as gone?  Reason being, he doesn't need this crap, so why torture himself?

• In 1985, Brooklyn's own, and St. John's University star forward Chris Mullin was selected with the #7 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors.  Mullin is now in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and has returned to his Alma-mater to be their head coach.

Brooklyn Nets feeling the ramifications of Billy King's reign.

Five years ago at the NBA Lottery Show - because it has become just that, a side show replete with dwarfs, sword swallowing congenial twins, poodles with people faces, a teenage werewolf, and a bad dirty joke teller - Mikhail Prokhorov made his grand entrance upon the NBA landscape.

On national TV, he proclaimed with supreme confidence his intentions to win an NBA championship within 5 years.  When the host reporter asked what that plan entailed, Mikhail Prokhorov explained that if he told her, he would have to kill her - all in fun of course.

Five years later, the 1,825th and final day expired on Prokhorov's title mandate.

The Nets finished the regular season with a 38-44 record, which could have entitled them to the #15 overall pick in the draft.  However, Billy King traded the rights to this year's first round pick as part of the deal to acquire Joe Johnson.  The Atlanta Hawks, whom eliminated the Nets from this year's playoffs in six games, own the right to swap #1's with the Nets.  Atlanta will now have the 15th overall selection, and the Nets drop down to 29th.

That doesn't even begin to lend insight into the mess the Nets are in.  

Billy King's creation has gotten worse in each of the last three seasons, culminating this season in a sub .500 record.  He compromised the Nets #1 pick through 2018 as part of the failed trade to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.  He's additionally capped out AND paying the luxury tax.

Since the team's move to Brooklyn three seasons ago, the Nets have been in a supreme position to steal headlines, and outshine the Knicks, whom by their own folly have literally hit an all-time low. But, Billy King failed to seize the moment.  The most expensive team in NBA history turned into a miserable failure.  Billy King's machinations will have lasting ramifications, as noted, through the 2018 season.

 Whatever...

UPDATE

The New York Knicks 

will have the 4th overall selection in the June draft.

Mike