The 2012 draft is known as the big draft year.
On the one hand, scouts have given high praise to this year's rookies. On the other hand, due to the NBA lockout last year, some potential rookies have chosen to postpone their participation for a year, making the quality of this rookie class quite attractive.
This situation caused the New Orleans Hornets to regret why they sent their first-round pick to the Clippers in the trade last year without attaching a pick protection clause.
Hornets general manager Demps feels helpless about the current situation. He knows very well that no matter what pick the Hornets draw, this pick will belong to the Clippers.
He had to explain to the new team owner Tom Benson that when the deal was made, it was led by the league and he was just following orders.
The league hopes that the Hornets can quickly attract fans after changing ownership and rebuild and unite the local basketball market.
Therefore, the trade resulted in Pau Gasol and the original queen bee, Baron Davis, attracting enough popularity.
Unexpectedly, the popularity has indeed attracted them. At the beginning of the season, the team's home attendance rate was quite good. Fans love to watch the stars play.
However, the team's record has not really improved. By the middle and late stages of the season, it has become very difficult to win, let alone enter the playoffs.
A win was hard to come by, and they ended up in the second-to-last position. Now they finally have a chance to compete for the No. 1 pick, and the No. 1 pick might even be the Clippers.
The person representing the Hornets in this draft lottery is the team's new head coach Monty Williams.
After Williams arrived in New York, he and other colleagues who participated in the draft lottery first conducted a pre-lottery at Madison Square Garden.
The so-called pre-draw is a rehearsal. After all, the drawing process will be broadcast live on television, and everyone must be familiar with the process.
According to NBA rules, the top three picks are drawn by lottery. After the top three picks are determined, the subsequent picks are arranged according to record.
So the most critical thing is the drawing of the top three picks.
In this pre-draw, the Sacramento Kings won the No. 1 pick.
But Adrienne Maloof, the King's participant in this draw, was not very happy.
Adrienne Maloof is the sister of the team owners, the Maloof brothers. The brothers hope that their sister will get a good lottery pick this time to alleviate the current crisis facing the Kings.
After the Kings reached a peak in 2002, they went from bad to worse. Now they have been reduced to the belly of the Western Conference. There is always no hope for reconstruction.
Due to the shutdown in 2011, the Maloof brothers fell into financial crisis, and the king was in danger in their hands.
They desperately need a high-ranking pick to bring talent to the team and enough fans.
Adrienne Maloof thought, what if this pre-draw was a real draw?
Winning the No. 1 pick in the pre-draw often means it is difficult to get the No. 1 pick in the actual draw.
Although from a mathematical point of view, the two draws are independent events and do not interfere with each other, the probability is the same.
But the NBA lottery has always been a very mysterious thing. If you get the No. 1 pick in the pre-lottery, you won't get it in the official lottery.
In the 70-year history of the NBA, some teams have never received the No. 1 pick, such as the Jazz, Thunder (SuperSonics), Grizzlies, Pacers and Nuggets.
If you look at the cities where these teams are located, you will know that they are all remote small places and small ball markets. The league simply does not want to send the No. 1 pick to such a place, so that high-quality assets cannot be developed.
The Sacramento Kings got the No. 1 pick way back in 1989. It was a small year in the draft. They chose Ellison, an unknown person, and wasted a good pick.
Although the Kings are now in California, Sacramento is a small city and cannot be compared with Los Angeles in terms of commercial value, and it is not even a rival to Oakland.
Adrienne Maloof pouted at Monty Williams, who was drafted third overall, and said, "I think this year's No. 1 pick might go to you, the Hornets."
Monty Williams smiled bitterly and said: "So what if we get it? This pick is not in our hands, it will be the Clippers'."
Adrienne Maloof shook his head, "Your management is really out of their minds. They don't even protect their first-round picks. The Clippers are about to play in the Western Conference Finals!"
"We are under the trusteeship of the league, and our management has no say in this transaction at all."
"I think this No. 1 pick will definitely go to the Clippers, and a new dynasty team will emerge."
Monty Williams didn't respond. It's not that he didn't agree with Maloof's words, but that some things should not be said carelessly and must be done responsibly.
Anyway, the Maloof family will not be in the NBA for too long. The Maloof brothers have already put it on the agenda to sell the Kings. They can say whatever they like.
In the blink of an eye, the day of the draft lottery has arrived. The Eastern and Western Conference semifinals have ended, and the opponents of the Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference Finals have been announced.
The result of the Eastern Conference series was exactly the same as last year. The Heat challenged the Bulls for the second consecutive year. However, the Bulls really gave face. Rose did not perform well due to injuries and was taken away by the Heat 4:1.
The bad news for the Bulls is that they were eliminated by the Heat again. The good news is that Rose's injury is not serious, but he must change his style of play. He is only in the fourth grade and his career still has a long way to go. Gotta go.
The struggle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Celtics became more intense. After falling behind 1:2, the Cavaliers won the fourth game and evened the total score.
However, in the crucial battle of Tianwang Mountain, the Celtics team broke out, winning 98:95 on the road, once again pushing James to the edge of the cliff.
The Celtics have the opportunity to send James home again, which is something James will not allow to happen.
Game 6 came to Boston, and James scored 48 points in a single game, his strongest performance in the playoffs this year.
James knocked the TD North Shore Garden Arena into silence. From the first quarter, Celtics fans saw no hope of winning.
Because James plays so fiercely and accurately, facts prove that basketball is really a scoring game.
When your shooting percentage increases to 60% or even 70%, and almost every ball is scored, those defensive tactics, strategies, and willpower will become a joke.
In this game, the Cavaliers or James suppressed the Celtics from beginning to end, sweeping the Celtics with 101:80 and 31 points, dragging the series to the seventh game.
Game 7 returned to Cleveland. Two days before the draft lottery ceremony, the Cavaliers defeated the Celtics at home 103:95 and once again crossed this mountain.
The Lakers made appropriate adjustments after falling behind 1:2. In the crucial fourth game, the Lakers won 97:90 to equalize the score.
After not giving the Grizzlies a chance in the battle at Tianwang Mountain, Chris Paul broke out and scored 33 points and 15 assists, helping the Lakers get the match point.
At this stage of the series, it is already difficult for the young Grizzlies to compete with the Lakers who have entered the state.
The veteran Phil Jackson slowly found a way to deal with Griffin. In the fourth and fifth games, Griffin failed to take off. He scored 17 points in one game and only 11 points in the other. He was dismissed. Jan Martin and others were restricted.
By Game 6, the Grizzlies were using old tricks and at the end of their strength, and were no longer a match for the Lakers.
The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 96:85 on the road and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
This is the fourth time since 2008 that the Lakers have advanced to the Western Conference Finals. They will compete with the Los Angeles Clippers for the second time in the same city.
There is no doubt that this will be a highly interesting series, and who is the new King of Los Angeles will be revealed after this series.
The day of the draft lottery was the day before the start of the Western Conference Finals. Although the Clippers team was playing away from home, they were able to stay in Los Angeles to prepare for the game.
This is good news for both parties, as they can stay in Los Angeles for the entire series without having to fly anywhere.
The draft lottery ceremony was held in the evening. Min Congda participated in team training during the day and prepared for the game with Tyronn Lue and others.
To be honest, Min Congda was very excited. Should he help the team defeat the Lakers and advance to the Western Conference Finals?
If the Clippers stop in the Western Conference Finals, this result can only be said to be so-so. It can attract investment, but it doesn't seem to be enough.
If they reach the finals, their exposure and popularity will definitely be enough, but once the Clippers become a finals team, their market value will inevitably increase.
Min Congda was caught in a dilemma. He felt like a tightrope walker, trying to find a balance.
And the reason why he got to where he is now is because he didn't make a good choice in the draft. He missed out on a peerless parallel import like Thabeet. He got Curry and traded for Harden. His luck was really bad.
After thinking about it, Min Congda decided to stay the same in the face of changes. He would first watch the Clippers and the Lakers play a game, and then decide whether to make suggestions for the Clippers based on public opinion and other factors.
The atmosphere of the Clippers team is very good and very relaxed. The 4:1 victory over the Thunder in the semifinals was unexpectedly smooth.
Everyone thought that the showdown with the Thunder would be a fierce battle, but little did they know that the Thunder, with Durant and Westbrook, was no match for the Clippers.
The team's confidence is further improving. The whole team is in good competitive condition and is looking forward to tomorrow's game against the Lakers.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the team's training ended and everyone went back to their homes to prepare for tomorrow's game.
Zach Randolph invited Min Congda to his house for dinner, saying that he wanted to ask him something.
Min Congda agreed and went home with Randolph in his car.
"What are you doing so mysteriously? You just tell me what's going on directly, but you insist on inviting me to your house for dinner? What, you want to bribe me to let me renew my contract with you in advance? Your contract still has two years left. !”
Min Congda couldn't help complaining in the car. Back then, he renewed Randolph's contract early just to make Randolph mess up.
As a result, it was self-defeating. Randolph stopped playing badly and changed his mind to play better.
Although Randolph is not the team's top player now, he is the mainstay in the paint and a sure shot in the playoffs.
Randolph smiled and said nothing, and took Min Congda to his home. In addition to inviting Min Congda, he also invited Gasol, Curry, Harden, Ricky Davis and others, as well as the coaching staff. , the management person, it seems that he has something important to announce tonight.
Sure enough, at this warm family banquet, Randolph announced that he would marry his girlfriend Frances Drake this summer and hold a wedding.
At that time, he will invite all the players and employees of the Clippers to attend his wedding banquet, and hopes that Min Congda will be a witness at the wedding.
Hearing Randolph say he wanted to get married, Min Congda's heart skipped a beat and suddenly felt a little emotional.
Time flies so fast. It has been three years since I arrived with the Clippers. Even prodigal sons like Randolph have already turned around and started a family.
And what about himself? Love is nowhere to be found, and tasks are never completed. I originally came to the Clippers to be a traitor, but now I'm fine, I'm going to the finals!
Three years and three years, maybe we will win the championship!
Thinking of this, Min Congda felt a sense of sadness in his heart, and his eyes turned red and the corners of his eyes became moist.
When Randolph saw Min Congda looking like he was about to cry, he thought he was moved and said, "Mr. Smart, Francis and I have discussed it and think it is most appropriate for you to be the witness. Really, you The contract extension and the trust in me have changed me, changed my career, and changed my attitude towards life. I am grateful to you from the bottom of my heart, and you deserve this respect."
When Randolph said this, the people around him applauded, which made Min Congda feel even more uncomfortable and wanted to cry even more.
I couldn't hold back my tears all of a sudden, and shed more tears!
Everyone thought that Min Congda was moved by being invited to be a witness, so they all stepped forward to hug Min Congda.
Curry also said: "Smart, you were the witness at my wedding last year, which shows that you are very loved by everyone."
Curry married Ayesha in September 2011, and Min Congda also served as a witness, which is enough to illustrate his status in Curry's heart.
Curry's comfort did not make Min Congda feel better, because no one could understand him, but he still wiped away his tears and expressed his willingness to be a witness at Randolph's wedding and witness the couple enter the grave of love.
Amid the applause and cheers of the crowd, Randolph and his girlfriend were officially engaged.
At this time, Rosser, who had come to attend the engagement banquet together, said to Min Congda, "Mr. Smart, the draft lottery ceremony is about to begin."
Min Congda wiped away his tears and said, "Just start, let fate take its course. Anyway, I don't want to worry about this draft anymore!"
No matter what the pick is, Min Congda is determined never to interfere in the draft.
In the living room of Randolph's house, everyone was drinking champagne and watching the live broadcast of the lottery on TV.
Adam Silva holds the cards of each team in his hand, starting from the 14th place and moving forward one by one.
The Houston Rockets got the No. 14 pick, and they have a 0.5% probability of getting the No. 1 pick.
This was the lowest probability of winning the No. 1 pick, but unfortunately they failed to do so and were still assigned the 14th spot.
This probability is indeed too low. In theory, there is only one possibility of being selected in 2,000 draws.
Then the thirteenth place is the Phoenix Suns, and there are no special surprises until fifth place. They are all ranked according to their record.
The Nets got the fifth pick, the Kings got the fourth pick, and up to the third pick, which should theoretically be the Hornets' pick and the Clippers' pick.
In other words, the Clippers can at least get a third overall pick.
As a result, the third pick was not the Hornets, but the Wizards!
"Wo! Wizards, the third place is Wizards, we are the top two!" Rosser was a little excited.
You know, just three years ago, he won the No. 1 pick on behalf of the Clippers, and this pick changed the Clippers.
Now, they have another chance to grab the No. 1 pick, and they're playing in the conference finals.
"The team that owns the second pick in the 2012 draft is...the Charlotte Bobcats!"
When Adam Silva took out the Bobcats card, the roof of Randolph's house was almost torn off!
It is unimaginable that the Clippers, who are about to play in the conference finals, won the No. 1 pick in the 2012 season!
Everyone hugged each other and celebrated together. This is rare good luck.
Rosser hugged Min Congda tightly and said, "Mr. Smart, your transaction is really worth it! It's worth it!"
Min Congda's emotions that had finally calmed down became agitated again, and tears welled up unsatisfactorily.
"Why is my life so miserable? Why is there another champion!"
(End of chapter)
