2012 NBA Draft Lottery Results: Twitter Reaction, Highlights and Recap
Anthony Davis better start looking for real estate in the New Orleans area.
The 2012 NBA draft lottery featured multiple teams desperate to land the first pick, but it was the New Orleans Hornets who came away as the big winners.
Despite having only a 13.7 percent chance of landing it, they now own the right to select the former Kentucky star in next month’s draft.
The big loser of the night was the Brooklyn Nets, who weren’t able to keep their top-three protected pick by landing at No. 6, which means the Portland Trail Blazers now own it. How will they entice the Orlando Magic to trade Dwight Howard now?
Aside from the Hornets, the other big winner was the Golden State Warriors.
They had over a 70 percent chance of keeping their pick, but there were plenty of fans that held their collective breaths before exhaling with the news they landed the seventh pick. If they would have selected eighth, the Utah Jazz would own the pick.
For the most part the order went as most expected, with only the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers falling back a pick back due to the rise of New Orleans.
Twitter Reaction
The NBA draft lottery is certainly a made-for-TV event, and Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News believes only one other event rivals it:
"Heisman award ceremony is annually the most tediously drawn out by TV. Lottery special always is No. 2. Let's begin the tedium...
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) May 30, 2012"
As a Wizards fan, John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal is becoming all too comfortable with the NBA draft lottery:
"A sad fact of life for a Wizards fan: I can't remember a year when the NBA Draft Lottery wasn't must-see-TV.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) May 30, 2012"
Davis hasn’t played in a single NBA game yet, but has already gained the respect of Super Bowl winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers:
"Gotta respect Anthony Davis, still rocking the unibrow
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) May 30, 2012"
The Nets are now in deep trouble, as they surrendered their No. 6 overall pick in exchange for Gerald Wallace. Without trade bait for Dwight Howard, the future is bleak says CNBC reporter Darren Rovell:
"Disasterous for Nets. Lose pick. No hype into offseason.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) May 31, 2012"
With the NBA still in control of the Hornets, plenty of people thought it was fishy that the Hornets jumped up three spots to land the top pick. Grantland’s Bill Simmons compared it to another “sport”:
"So great. So so so so so great. I love the WWE. Er, the NBA.
— Bill Simmons (@sportsguy33) May 31, 2012"
Video Highlight
There is nothing quite like watching the natural reaction of a man in a business suit finding out the fate of his team on live television.
The stone-cold face of owner Ted Leonsis when he found out his Wizards had fallen from the third pick to the second says it all.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, check out Hornets head coach Monty Williams when he learned with team just nabbed the top pick.
(Click here for entire first round order)
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. Charlotte Bobcats
3. Washington Wizards
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Sacramento Kings
6. Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn)
7. Golden State Warriors
8. Toronto Raptors
9. Detroit Pistons
10. New Orleans Hornets (from Minnesota)
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Milwaukee Bucks
13. Phoenix Suns
14 Houston Rockets
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