Memphis Grizzlies Land Unbelievable Luck in 2019 NBA Draft Lottery Results
The Memphis Grizzlies sneaked into the top-four during Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery and will now have the potential to select a franchise-altering prospect.
The wait is finally over and the fate of the Memphis Grizzlies‘ 2019 first-round NBA Draft pick has been decided. After a wild series of events in Tuesday evening’s NBA Draft Lottery, the Grizzlies defied their eighth-best odds to secure a top-four pick.
Yet, the Memphis Grizzlies would not stop there. While dueling with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans in tossing aside teams who were top-four locks, the NBA Draft Lottery came down to the Grizzlies, Lakers, Pelicans, and the worst team in the league — the New York Knicks.
After it was all said and done, lottery favoritism did not take place for the L.A. Lakers. During the lottery event, it seemed as if it was inevitable, much like the Cleveland Cavaliers sweeping in for the No. 1 overall pick so many times over the past decade. Los Angeles would finish in the fourth overall spot.
It got better for Memphis. The New York Knicks — after a disastrous season — allowed the No. 1 overall pick to slip through their hands. New York now owns the third overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft.
As all Memphis Grizzlies fans were sweating profusely — and rightfully so — by this point of the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, their name was finally called. Elliot Perry must have selected the right pair of lucky socks this time around. Memphis jumped from the eighth position all the way to the second overall pick! Who really thought this would place into the Grizzlies’ favor?
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2019 will mark the fifth time in Vancouver and Memphis Grizzlies franchise history that the No. 2 overall pick has been achieved. The previous four names have included Mike Bibby, Steve Francis, Stromile Swift, and Hasheem Thabeet. To say the least, it will not take much for this future pick to surpass the other second overall picks that have come before him — whoever he may be — in Grizzlies history.
This is the big break the Memphis Grizzlies have needed. It seems so surreal right now. This organization’s direction was to win games and not tank. They finished the 2018-19 NBA season with a 33-49 team record, and were on the border of conveying their 2019 first-round pick to the Boston Celtics. My, how things have changed!
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While there was no terrible possible outcome for the Grizzlies in this year’s NBA Draft Lottery, they hit the jackpot, even with falling just shy of the No. 1 overall pick. The basketball gods were on Memphis’ side on this day, and it feels crazy to say that. Good luck does not typically find its way to Beale Street’s FedEx Forum.
Assuming the New Orleans Pelicans select Zion Williamson in June’s NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies will still have loads of talent to choose from at No. 2. While the most obvious choice should be Ja Morant, they could also weigh options of R.J. Barrett, Jarrett Culver, Cam Reddish, and others. A big factor may depend upon what the organization decides to do with Mike Conley as NBA trade season reopens around Draft time.
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This is a major boost for Memphis’ impending rebuild project, and it could be one more step of assurance to trading Conley. All eyes will be on Memphis leading up to the NBA Draft and potentially through the duration of the 2019-20 NBA season. Believe it or not, the Memphis Grizzlies could soon be the talk of the NBA.