The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery was always a long shot for the Phoenix Suns. A really, really, really long shot and the Suns don't have a very good history with beating the odds. It's hard to call hitting on a 98 percent chance to get the 13th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft "bad luck" but at the same time, we have to wonder how much effect the Burial Ground Curse had in Tuesday night's results.
The winners of the NBA Draft Lottery for 2011 were the Cavaliers (via Clippers), Timberwolves, and Jazz.
The Jazz pick was acquired from the New Jersey Nets in the Deron Williams trade and the Cavs pick was the one they got from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Baron Davis salary dump trade.
With the draft order now official set, we turn our full attention to Mock Draft season. Various names will move around the board as the weeks unfold before the June 23rd NBA Draft. At the top of the list we can now assume (for now) that the Kyrie Irving will be the presumptive number one pick as Cleveland certainly needs a point guard.
For Derrick Williams as a possible number two, things get a bit more interesting. The Wolves are pretty loaded at power forward with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley. The Wolves could be a candidate to trade down in the draft unless they can somehow get Irving if Cleveland passes on him.
Suns fans, don't take this one too hard. At least we won't have to endure a month of Derrick Williams vs. Kyrie Irving debates.
Here's the full order of the top 14 draft picks in the 2011 NBA Draft:
14. Rockets
13. Suns
12. Jazz
11. Warriors.
10. Bucks
9. Bobcats
8. Pistons
7. Kings
6. Wizards
5. Raptors
4. Cavaliers
3. Jazz
2. Timberwolves
1. Cavaliers