Unlucky Nets Learn Cruel Lesson On Leaning On Lottery Odds

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All that losing for the No. 8 overall pick. Sorry to abbreviate, but SMH.

Nets Nation received the gut punch reality check that was always in the cards while watching Monday’s NBA Draft Lottery results. Fans suffered through a repulsive 26-56 campaign under the delusion that it would be worth their while through a top pick in the 2025 Draft. Unfortunately, thanks to the flattened odds per the 2019 changes, the so-called “chance” at winning the drawing for the right to select Duke star Cooper Flagg, or even finishing in the top four, was always just that—a chance.

It wasn’t just the Nets who were blunted by unkind luck. Utah, which has never won a lottery, became the seventh consecutive organization to finish atop the reverse standings and lose out on the No. 1 pick. They plunged all the way down to fifth. Washington, the second-worst team, will pick sixth, and fourth-worst New Orleans dropped to No. 7. Only Charlotte stayed in the top four, falling one slot from their third-best odds.

On the reverse side, Dallas drew a royal flush with their 1.8% odds, bailing out their embattled General Manager Nico Harrison in the process from his colossal blunder in not shopping superstar Luka Doncic around the league before trading him to the Lakers. The ultra rich Adelson family, reeling from basketball revenue losses, got an undeserved windfall. Also, the Sixers, who blatantly lost games on purpose down the stretch, were able to hang onto their top-six protected pick by drawing No. 3 overall, moving up two slots.

Karma? Not in Commissioner Adam Silver’s NBA.

That leaves Brooklyn with a less-than-ideal lottery slot, one that they had a mere 20.6% chance of hitting. General Manager Sean Marks can take solace in that the organization will have four other picks in the top 36, including three other 1s. More darts to throw at the board can only be helpful on a club this talent deficient.

Who will be there when the Nets are on the clock at No. 8? It’s too early to tell, though I can pinpoint the following six players as those who I think will surely be off the board (not necessarily in particular order):

Cooper Flagg (Duke)

Dylan Harper (Rutgers)

Ace Bailey (Rutgers)

V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor)

Tre Johnson (Texas)

Khaman Maluach (Duke)

I know there are some who are still mocking Maluach to Brooklyn, but his measurables (7-feet barefoot, nearly 7-7 wingspan, and 9-6 standing reach) at Monday’s NBA Combine and developing skillset are just too good for a team like Washington to pass up. Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears could also be gone, though I’d worry about his sub-30% three-point rate in college.

That means Marks could be left with some good but flawed players from which to choose. Besides Fears, the next group will likely include Derik Queen (Maryland), Kon Knueppel (Duke), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), and Collin Murray-Boules (Soth Carolina). Who knows which of these will pop and which will fizzle, but it’s safe to say that their resumes to date are not dazzling enough to tank for.

There’s a long way to go between now and June 25 Draft Day. Prospects will rise and fall like they always do and speculation will run rampant about top NBA players who may be on the move, with the current focus on Milwaukee’s status.

Not that I think Brooklyn has a shot at securing the services of Giannis Antetokounmpo. It doesn’t make sense for the Nets or Giannis. The Nets lack a foundation of players who could complement a star. The easiest way to get some is to nail their Draft picks.

So, did this one lottery result mean that this Marks rebuild is doomed to fail? Of course not. Other than Flagg and maybe Harper, I didn’t see anyone this season who looked to me like he could make a major impact as an NBA rookie. For the rest, it’s going to take years to bear fruit anyway. It’s why I always expected the Nets to be off the NBA grid for more than one season.

However, the Lottery showed the folly of banking on ping pong balls to assure a bright future. Considering how little experience this franchise has had with lotteries, I guess you can call Monday’s a learning one.