:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/6061611/141496452.jpg)
The results are in and the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery is complete. The New Orleans Hornets have won the 1st pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and are likely to select Anthony Davis from Kentucky first overall. The Detroit Pistons, given the 9th best odds in lottery seeding, will select 9th overall on June 28th.
Immediately, the reaction around the league amongst fans and sport personalities was to question the curiosity that the team the league currently owns has earned the #1 pick in the draft. The New Orleans Hornets, who are currently processing their sale to Saints owner Tom Benson, won the first pick with the 4th best odds in the draft lottery. Apparently, fans, players and sports writers are questioning whether or not there was a conspiracy behind this lottery.
Detroit didn't win the draft lottery, so an easy reaction would be to point the finger at the league for this coincidence. Players on lottery teams can be upset that their team didn't get the best help it could have in this draft, and they can tweet that something fishy is going on. Sports writers are going to hear this buzz from fans and write articles wondering if there is a conspiracy to generate pageviews. None of them, not fans, not players and not sports writers can do anything about it.
It's a coincidence, and Pistons fans would be best suited to focusing on what to do with the pick the team did receive-- number 9 in the 2012 NBA Draft.
There is amazing talent slated to be available at number 9 in the 2012 draft. Players like Kendall Marshall and Jared Sullinger may be on the board when Detroit is picking, which is a very, very exciting prospect. Anthony Davis could have been the perfect pairing to Greg Monroe, but there are guys who were playing like all stars in the NCAA who should be available when Detroit makes their pick.
Yes, the fact that the Pistons did not win the lottery sucks. Instead of blaming the NOLA conspiracy on David Stern, those meaningless April wins were what gave Detroit the 9th best odds. When we're ready to put blame aside, there's a lot to get excited about between now and June 28th. You may not know me as an optimist, but I'll celebrate optimism when it visits in such a tangible manner.