Lady Luck hands Cavaliers No 1 draft pick again
Against the odds, Cleveland secure top choice for the second straight year and third time in the last four
The Cleveland Cavaliers would prefer to be known for being good, not lucky.
Maybe next year.
For now, disappointment is replaced by disbelief, as even they are amazed by their remarkable run of lottery luck.
"It was incredible," general manager David Griffin said.
It seems surreal. This is three out of four years and we had a 1.7 per cent chance
"When Cleveland didn't pop up at nine, I knew obviously we had moved up and I had to gather myself for a second. Just a remarkable feeling."
Familiar one, too.
The Cavaliers won the No 1 pick in the NBA draft for the second straight year and third time in the last four. They moved up from the ninth spot, when they had just a 1.7 per cent chance of winning the top selection.
"It seems surreal," Cavs vice-chairman Jeff Cohen said.
"This is three out of four years and we had a 1.7 per cent chance of coming up with the first pick and we pulled it off again."
They drafted Kyrie Irving first in 2011 and will hope to do better with this win than last year, when they took Anthony Bennett, who had a forgettable rookie season.
Nick Gilbert, the son of Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert, was on the podium for the previous two wins, but it was Griffin this time.
He had a pin on his lapel from his late grandmother and was carrying one of Nick Gilbert's bowties, which was as lucky in his breast pocket as it was with Nick wearing it.
The Cavs can now choose from Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid of Kansas, Duke's Jabari Parker, or another player from what is considered a deep draft.
"This means everything," Cohen said. "This is the deepest draft arguably since LeBron [James] and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony came out."
The Cavs won that one, too, in 2003, when they picked James. But they have been lottery regulars since he bolted for Miami in 2010, and they want that to stop.
The expected strength of the class led to speculation that teams were tanking in hopes of getting a high pick.
But the Cavs had play-off expectations, hoping a strong season could make them attractive to James if he was interested in returning home as a free agent.
