The 1997 NBA Draft Lottery was one of the most memorable events in San Antonio Spurs history.

That day the Spurs, who had finished the 1996-97 season with the league's third worst record, beat out the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Boston Celtics for the number one overall pick.

And there was no doubt who they were going to take with the pick—Wake Forest big man Tim Duncan.

Duncan had an immediate impact as he teamed with future Hall-of-Fame center David Robinson to help the Spurs win 36 more games than the previous season.  

He unanimously won Rookie of the Year honors and helped lead the Spurs to two NBA championships along with Robinson.

He then later led the team to two more titles after Robinson's retirement, playing alongside Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. 

But what if the Spurs weren't so lucky? What if they hadn't won the lottery and ended up with the third pick in the '97 draft?

Let's say the Celtics won the first pick and drafted Duncan and the Grizzlies used the second pick on Keith Van Horn.

That would mean the Spurs would've had to choose from the likes of Chauncey Billups, Antonio Daniels, Tony Battie, and Ron Mercer.

They would most likely have taken Battie, since there was a glaring hole at the power forward spot.

Would a Robinson/Battie duo had been as good as the Robinson/Duncan "Twin Towers?" Absolutely not.

However, the Spurs still probably would have made the playoffs in Battie's rookie year. They had Robinson, All-Star Sean Elliott, and reliable point guard Avery Johnson. Plus, they had a decent cast of role players as well.

Who knows, Robinson may have still won a championship or two in San Antonio without Duncan at his side.

There's no telling what kind of stars the Spurs management may have acquired along the way.

Or also, they could have turned out to be a team that makes the playoffs every year and lose in the first round.

But, one thing's for sure—Duncan and Paul Pierce would have looked great in Boston together. The Celtics could have become a dynasty with the right pieces around those two.

Back to the Spurs. We'll never know what would have happened if Tim Duncan never ended up in San Antonio.

It's just fun to wonder "what if?"

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