NBA draft lottery: Not great theater
Impressions of the NBA draft lottery:
1. It’s fun to see where your team is going to get slotted, but as far as riveting television, this is not. The ESPN show needs to be condensed, and it’s already intermixed with the Eastern Conference Finals pre-game show.
2. Wonder if Mike D’Antoni would like a do-over? The deposed Suns coach had his pick between the Knickerbockers and the Bulls, and he chose New York. Bad choice. Chicago has a better roster, a better front office (though not a good one), better working conditions (the New York media can roast a coach) and now the No. 1 draft pick. Who in their right mind would pick the Knicks over that?
3. The Sacramento Kings’ contest for a fan to represent the franchise at the lottery was totally cool. Great, great move. And Margie Parilo was charming and funny, the best part of the lottery show.
4. The Sonics actually are a little ahead of the curve in the last two lotterys. Slotted for fifth in 2007, Seattle got to pick second. Slotted for second in 2008, the Sonics will pick fourth. That’s coming out ahead.
5. Using the lottery as a marketing tool is a great move. Fan, superstar, whoever. The Nets used Jay-Z, which probably was a great decision. That could at least appeal to a certain segment of fans. So what were the Bulls thinking, having that goober exec representing them? Steve Schanwald, its marketing chief, was Mr. Bull Tuesday night, and the franchise’s post-Jordan drifting was completely understandable after watching that guy. All he could think to say was the Bulls’ phone number for tickets. That’s the kind of thinking that sent Tyson Chandler to the Hornets for virtually nothing.
6. ESPN shows how important is the lottery with its use of Doris Burke as host. Burke made Schanwald seem spicy; she called him “Stan” instead of Steve, though you hardly can blame her for not knowing the guy’s name.
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