2011 NBA Lottery: 5 Teams Who Won't Take Kyrie Irving If They Pick First
Most years, the NBA lottery is dubbed the sweepstakes of a perennial all-star. The 2011 draft lottery is no different. The "Kyrie Irving sweepstakes" kick off tonight, but there is no guarantee that Irving is a lock for the top spot.
What about the teams who already have the point guard they want? Is this a situation where teams are going to be willing to drop a promising point guard for a shot at Irving?
It's not as though he is the lock that John Wall was at point guard or the phenom Blake Griffin was when he came out. He doesn't have the Lebron James hype or the Dwight Howard upside.
The media may be calling this lottery the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes, but there are five teams involved that wouldn't take him first. Here they are.
Golden State Warriors
1 of 5
The Golden State Warriors could be a major player this offseason in the exchanging of big name players. At the moment, their backcourt is packed with talent. Monta Ellis is a stud two guard, while Stephen Curry is a promising young point guard.
The Warriors have David Lee, but lack size. The last thing they need to do is bring in another guard. Turkish center Enes Kanter would be of greater value to them, as would Derrick Williams.
If the Warriors win the lottery, don't trade out of the spot and end up selecting Irving, you can count on them being involved in a major deal. It could add to their chances of landing Dwight Howard, if they want to go that route.
Detroit Pistons
2 of 5
The Pistons already have Rodney Stuckey holding down the point. He's the quarterback of the floor and their best player. With 15 points and just over five assists a game, the Pistons would be better off bypassing Irving.
On top of that, Stuckey is only 25 and a huge 6'5" point guard. The Pistons are packed with aging legends who contributed to their success last decade. It's time for a youth movement and Derrick Williams would be a better fit there.
Utah Jazz
3 of 5
The Jazz may consider taking Irving, but in the end I see them steering away from the idea. They just acquired Devin Harris through trade and there are only a handful of point guards that would be an improvement from Harris.
Harris is injured frequently, but he also has 15 PPG and seven APG when he is on the floor. The Jazz need to pack their team with talent elsewhere.
While they may be the most likely team on this list to go after Irving, I don't think they can pass on filling a need and landing a potential star forward.
Toronto Raptors
4 of 5
Jose Calderon may never be a household name. He isn't a great scorer, but he is a passing genius. The offense runs through Calderon and he does a great job as a true point guard.
The Raptors need a guy who can do it all. They need help scoring and rebounding, as well as on the defensive side of the ball.
Derrick Williams is a lethal scorer and would contribute to the team more readily. Irving is better than Calderon, but their games are similar and Calderon suffices for the time being.
Washington Wizards
5 of 5
The Wizards were the winners of the John Wall sweepstakes. His impact wasn't as resounding as the Wizards had hoped, but these things take time.
Wall wasn't the team's leading scorer, but when 10-plus assists are a regular occurence, he can't be written off whatsoever. He's going to develop into something special and is well on his way.
The Wizards would be a prime candidate to trade this pick away. Many teams on this list would benefit from dealing the pick to a Kyrie Irving crazed team, which there will be plenty of.
The teams on this list have a combined 39.5 percent chance of drawing the first overall pick. There is still a lot of ambiguity heading into the draft. It will only increase if one of these teams is at the top of it.
