The Lottery
The day has arrived: The Grizzlies’ annual assignation with that unreliable Demon Lover, the NBA Draft Lottery. The Grizzlies are holding two official watch parties for the lottery, which will be televised at 7 p.m. on ESPN. One is at the Flying Saucer downtown, the other is at that popular beer hall’s Cordova location.
I’ll be at the downtown Saucer, where The Chris Vernon Show will be broadcasting live from 3 to 6 p.m. and everyone involved in the show will be sticking around for the lottery itself afterward. Grizzlies radio voice Eric Hasseltine will be there and GM Chris Wallace is scheduled to check in via phone from the lottery site.
Reportedly, if the Griz win the lottery, Hasseltine’s hair will be shaved. If the Grizzlies don’t get a top 2 pick, some unlucky attendee will be stoned by the rest of us in tribute to Shirley Jackson.
I encourage everyone to come down and join us, but I also encourage Grizzlies fans not to get too worked up over the outcome. It would be great to get a Top 2 pick, but, unlike last year, there’s no reason to feel entitled to it. And I categorically reject the notion that you can’t build a contender without one of those picks. The Grizzlies should just play the lottery as it lays and proceed with vigor and optimism regardless of the outcome. There are lots of potential high-impact players in this draft and the Grizzlies should be able to get one wherever they pick. There’s no need for anguish no matter the outcome.
The odds suggest Grizzlies are most likely to come out of tonight’s festivities with the 5th pick, which means I can start talking more about Kevin Love and Anthony Randolph tomorrow.
