Back to the drafting board some of the NBA’s most storied franchises looked to write their future history with a new legacy in the 2017 NBA Draft this Thursday gone.
And in a new class of legends it was the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Lakers and even the rivalling Boston Celtics that hit the lottery.
Seemingly holding the first and second picks respectively for the last couple of seasons and beyond, the Sixers and Lakers have been building themselves some young, raw, star-studded teams of the future. Last season it was Philly’s Ben Simmons and L.A’s Brandon Ingram coming in for the drafts one-two punch. This year the 76ers gave their new team of F.E.D.S lead by chief Joel Embiid Washington’s own Markelle Fultz after cutting a deal with the Celtics. Decked out in fitting draft shoes made from basketball leather, Fultz finishes the process with his star-to-be game in the ready to go making.
Ball or bust over in L.A. however it got real Hollywood…or at least entertaining, as the Lakers drafted hometown hero from UCLA, Lonzo Ball and of course his package deal of Big Baller Brand father LaVar, brothers and even his new purple and gold signature sneakers. LaVar talks a good Muhammed Ali game, but his first born Drake lookalike and Jason Kidd playalike has the goods to back it up as potentially the next Laker great. From the Cinderella college stories to the Los Angeles times. Having a real ball, passing to Ingram, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr and Ivica Zubac and hopefully (or definitly by 2018) Paul George and Basketball Gods forbid, fellow U.C.L.A. alumni Russell Westbrook and even LeBron James (but you have to take rumors like these with a pinch of tossed up chalk).
But not last seasons Lakers leader D’Angelo Russell, traded with the cap clearing contract of Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn for Brook Lopez. A legit big-man in a 7 foot starved league capable of putting up 20 points and ‘you should really average more rebounds’. Perhaps the Lakers should have moved the Kobe-passing Russell to shooting guard instead of Brooklyn, as a Ball/D’Angelo backcourt could have thrived. Sure they want LeBron and Westbrook, but surely these dreams are the stuff of pipes. Perhaps the Lakers remember the time they tried to align Kobe with Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel in ’96. Or the show-time when Earvin Johnson shared a backcourt with Norm Nixon. Trading D-Lo seems crazy but president Magic knows a real Point Guard when he sees one and is tired of all the loading. Time for the ice to run cold in the veins of the B.K. Looking for the next Mamba moment the Lake Show even drafted Bryant (Thomas), along with Kyle Kumza and Josh Hart. But in L.A. taking clutch king Derek Fisher’s number two (the Lakers should just rafter the digits 0.4) with the second pick, it’s the balling Lonzo Angeles Lakers show now.
The Lakers legendary rivals the Boston Celtics came in with the bronze pick and struck gold with Duke devil Jayson Tatum. From blue to green, Tatum brings court professionalism at the highest level and looks to team up with one of the leagues elite best Isaiah Thomas for contention right away.
The rest of the top picks fell like a buzzer beater kissed off the rim. Josh Jackson rose to the fourth pick with his new franchise the Phoenix Suns, just when the Lakers thought that they might be bringing those old number 17, Rick Fox jerseys back. As Kentucky grad DeAaron Fox slipped to fifth being crowned by Cali rival the Sacramento Kings. Sacto again no stranger to multiple Top 10 picks over the last couple of years. Just like the Minnesota Timberwolves who highlighted this first ten by trading their seventh seal (Lauri Markkanen) along with former picks Kris Dunn and dunk champ Zach Lavine to the Chicago Bulls for superstar Jimmy Butler, who has been rumoured to be shopped to every team from the Lakers to LeBron’s land for years now. Jimmy’s gold standard silver service will now shoot big three Buckets with superstars Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Townes as this twin to triplet, Minny city looks to party like it’s 2019 contention like Prince or Gatsby.
After the Stars Plum pick of the WNBA draft, expect more greats to keep rolling out of this NBA one, making this association competitively league pass watchable again no matter how many times the Warriors win.
