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Updated: December 24, 12:48 PM ET
ESPN.com |
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Editor's note: As part of "The Stein Line" every Monday, ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein gives his take on things in "Slams and Dunks." The determining factor to resolve whether the NBA will follow through on calls to air the Ping-Pong ball portion of the draft lottery is television. The question, specifically: Can the Ping-Pong draw make for compelling TV?
One broadcast option, then, is calling the NBA lotto numbers out one at a time, accompanied by a TV graphic to show -- after, say, three numbers are picked -- which teams hold combinations that can still net the No. 1 pick. Last May, for example, the Houston Rockets won the Yao Ming lotto with the following four-ball combination: 13-8-11-4. But after three balls had been drawn, three teams (Houston, New York and Washington) still held combinations that started out 13-8-11. You could have some edge-of-the-seat drama if the audience had that information. Problem is, even those three teams needed more than a few seconds to realize they were still in the running for No. 1, so it'll take some slick TV technology to convey that data to the audience in a fast fashion. Then again ... Even if the Ping-Pong portion can't be seamlessly formatted into a tidy halftime or pregame show, this is what the fans want to see. The public will be longing for the most conclusive possible evidence that the sweepstakes to pick LeBron James have not been rigged. LeBron Mania is running so wild that logos-in-envelopes won't be sufficient. People want to see exactly how the logos wind up in the envelopes.
In spite of his recent knee and back woes and penchant for speaking out, Grant does still represent the easiest personnel change L.A. can make, given the Lakers' lack of tradable assets. HoGrant knows Phil Jackson's system and he plays the position where they need the most help. Or, at the very least, one of the two biggest areas of need, next to L.A.'s lack of perimeter threats.
Despite reports in the days leading up to the expansion committee's vote that Johnson was gaining on the Steve Belkin/Bird partnership, and Johnson's unquestioned financial standing, some league observers were still floored to hear that Bird lost out. Because Bird is Bird, basically, and thus the guy who would have gotten more open-arms acclaim. Charlotte's public, to wit, was excitedly awaiting Larry Legend, even though the billionaire Johnson would seem to have better resources to build a new team. "This is as big an upset," said one team president, "as any game you'll see this season."
If there's any substance to that theory, which is getting plenty of circulation, that's when Kwame Brown and the rest of the Wiz will have cause to seriously question the whole purpose of MJ's comeback. Not now. There shouldn't be much long-term harm done this season to the development of Washington's youngsters, even if Jordan continues to insist on a veteran-driven run at the East's No. 8 slot. That all changes, though, if His Airness doesn't hang around to rebuild this franchise from the front office. That's where he can make the most lasting impact in D.C. -- by staying or going for starters. As for hints, MJ's strongest statement to date about returning to the Wiz presidency is: "That's my intent." Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. |
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