NBA Draft Lottery: Rose vs. Beasley, Annoying Short Men and Random Team Representatives

If you want my feelings on last night’s playoff game, head to the grown-up page. I can confess, within these informal walls, that I even dozed off for a second during the first half, following the spirit of our great leader Mottram.↵
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↵But the big bang yesterday was obviously the lottery, where the media officially kicked off the “Beasley/Rose is the new Clinton/Obama” push. Meaning that, between now and the draft, you can expect at least 13,000 minutes devoted to the relative merits of these two prospects. Of course, that discussion was in the air before. But now that the lottery die hath been cast, there are numbers to go with the team names, and vice-versa. In other words, there’s a real decision for someone to make.↵
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↵I have to say, as a fan only of people and things I like, I was a little heart-broken that the Bulls didn’t have D’Antoni to go with that #1 pick. Him and Rose would be, well, just what America ordered at this point. As is, we’ve got a motley roster and no coach. Can one young PG give it shape on the break? Or is the smart move to bring in a Durant-esque weirdo who can wreak havoc everywhere and meet with minimal opposition from the current line-up? Either way, that Bulls guy who accepted the prize was so freaking annoying, I seriously hoped they’d yank it away from him and say it was a joke.↵
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↵Realistically, Rose is from Chicago, and point guards are hot these days. Hinrich is in the trash bin these days, but someone might want to try and rehab him. Beasley, on the other hand, might end up once and for all shutting the door on Tyrus Thomas. Whereas a Thomas/Rose connection just might be enough to push along TT’s perpetually embryonic career. That would send Beasley to Miami, which may or may not make Shawn Marion expendable. One thing’s for sure: The Heat really could have used Rose. Alongside Marion and a healthy Wade, that’s a monster in the making.↵
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↵I’m also left wondering if there’s some limit to who can represent teams at the lottery. Is there a breaking point for randomness? The Kings fan was a touching, if awkward, gesture, and Jay-Z was kind of the same thing. Young players, sure, it shows their commitment to the franchise. But in my mind’s eye, which is certifiably psychic, I see a day when this starts looking like Hollywood Squares. I mean, it doesn’t matter who they send, so if it is just a PR gambit, why not go all-out with local celebs, naked ladies and old men who forget where they are.↵