NBA Draft Lottery: The Internet Reacts To New Orleans Landing First Pick
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Zion Williamson is going to New Orleans.
Lance King/Getty
The New Orleans Pelicans will have the first pick in the 2019 [/tags/nba/ NBA] Draft.
Though the draft lottery only tells us which team gets to pick first at the draft in June, the first pick has only been tied to one man. A man that, by all reports, could change the fate of whatever NBA franchise he ends up representing.
Zion Williamson.
All the talk about Williamson's athleticism, basketball IQ and natural ability had fans of the NBA's worst performing teams in a spin, hoping that Zion would land in their squad. This year it wasn't just the NBA's worst team -- the Knicks -- that had reason to hope, either. This year, five of the worst performing teams had a real chance at nabbing Zion because of slight changes the NBA made to the rules of the Draft Lottery.
In 2019, the NBA leveled the playing field by giving the three worst performing teams (New York, Cleveland and Phoenix) a 14% chance of landing the top pick. Chicago came in with 12.5% and Atlanta had a 10.5% chance. In previous years, the New York Knicks would have had a 25% chance of snagging the first draft pick. Pretty brutal drop for Knicks fans.
The Pelicans, however, had just a 6% chance of nabbing Number One. Cue Han Solo endlessly saying "Never tell me the odds" because the Pelicans actually landed the number 1 pick. Thank math. [ You can see the full results over at sister site CBS Sports], but if you want to know how fans flipped out, read on.
Prior to the lottery, Twitter analysts were scouring every single move that Zion Williamson made. He tapped an Atlanta Hawks logo when he wandered across the lottery stage and the match was lit for conspiracy theorists.
ZION TO ATL CONFIRMED [ #TrueToAtlanta] [ pic.twitter.com/7W5kRdofH8]
— Devind (@dclightsout) [ May 14, 2019]
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Did y'all see Zion double tap the ATL Hawks table
— Ry (@JustRyCole) [ May 14, 2019]
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That particular theory didn't play out as planned and when Mark Tatum, NBA deputy commissioner made his way to the stage, everything went silent. Reading out the results in reverse order, from 14 to 1, just added to the fever.
The lottery took place in Chicago and Chicago fans present in the arena groaned when they, for the third year in a row, nabbed the seventh pick. Fans across the web felt pretty dejected too.
Three years in a row: 7th pick is ours.[ #NBADraftLottery] [ pic.twitter.com/oruk3WP0lK]
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) [ May 15, 2019]
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Chicago Bulls win yet another #7 pick.
We are cursed. We will never get a draft pick outside the #7 pick.
— Chicago Bulls Rumors (@chicagobullsbot) [ May 15, 2019]
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Absolute feel of drama in the lottery ballroom here in Chicago...deflation when the Bulls dropped from 4th to 7th...NOT the Chicago election result many of us hoped for...
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) [ May 15, 2019]
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Chicago Bulls are the unluckiest team in the NBA over the last decade.
From the Derrick Rose injury, from being plagued with a terrible front office that will never get fired. Tonight the odds of us getting a #7 pick was on or around 20%.
When will the pain end for us?
— Chicago Bulls Rumors (@chicagobullsbot) [ May 15, 2019]
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The chaos of the first 10 picks put the Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks into the final four. Things shook out like this:
4. Los Angeles Lakers
3. New York Knicks
2. Memphis Grizzlies
1. New Orleans Pelicans.
Pelicans fans, with only a 6% chance of nabbing the first pick at the start of the night, lucked out. They lucked out big. Rightly so, it inspired a lot of love online.
WOW.
The No. 1 overall pick belongs to the [ @PelicansNBA]! [ #NBADraftLottery] [ pic.twitter.com/3L8iEuFJ6J]
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) [ May 15, 2019]
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[ #PELICANS] TICKET OFFICE IS WILDIN!!' 🔥🔥🔥 [ #BirdStrikes] [ pic.twitter.com/meihqCrWdd]
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) [ May 15, 2019]
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Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry was in the kerala lottery result yesterday room. His reaction: "F@@@ yeah."
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) [ May 15, 2019]
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Pelicans Fans, after winning the [ #NBADraftLottery] and the right to pick Zion Williamson [ pic.twitter.com/4oVD4s3G2e]
— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) [ May 15, 2019]
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What does this mean for Anthony Davis, also a number 1 draft pick, who has been flip-flopping on staying at New Orleans for season 2019-20? We're not sure, yet, but we have a decent idea.
The greatest freshman in college basketball history will be playing for the New Orleans Pelicans next year.
And he'll probably be joined by Zion Williamson.
— Not Jerry Tipton (@NotJerryTipton) [ May 15, 2019]
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AD hitting up Pelicans management right now like.... [ pic.twitter.com/LQKsHbOvAs]
— Rachel Bonnetta (@rachelbonnetta) [ May 15, 2019]
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Pelicans now have the ability to trade for Anthony Davis.
— Rich Keefe (@Keefe21) [ May 15, 2019]
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The [/news/kawhi-leonard-buzzer-beater-spurs-conspiracies-on-youtube-reddit/ conspiracy-prone NBA fans] think that Kawhi Leonard's Game 7 winning shot used magnets, but they surely can't claim any greater conspiracy here?
Congrats to the Pelicans, who join the Edmonton Oilers in forever crushing draft fixing conspiracy theories.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) [ May 15, 2019]
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How was New York feeling?
Todo New York Knicks ahora... [ pic.twitter.com/YHQ56vcbeg]
— The NBA Monster (@TheNBAMonster) [ May 15, 2019]
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New York Knicks [ pic.twitter.com/IcDbUwdpAA]
— Crying Jordan (@CryingJordan) [ May 15, 2019]
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when you could have gone to LA or New York but now you're going to Louisiana [ pic.twitter.com/e7L7Ejthau]
— Dane Delgado (@danegado) [ May 15, 2019]
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Mood in New York 😬 [ pic.twitter.com/1CJTT9AJJR]
— ESPN (@espn) [ May 15, 2019]
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Zion Williamson headed to ...
NEWYORK
NEWYOR
NEWYO
NEWY
NEW
NE
N
NE
NEW
NEWO
NEWOR
NEWORL
NEWORLE
NEWORLEA
NEWORLEAN
NEWORLEANS
😱[ #NBALottery]
— Trooper Ben (@TrooperBenKHP) [ May 15, 2019]
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After a tragic last play in the NFL playoffs for the New Orleans Saints, some thought bigger forces were at play.
The NBA made up for the NFL and did right by New Orleans. [ #NBADraftLottery]
— Cousin Sal (@TheCousinSal) [ May 15, 2019]
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The NBA draft will occur on June 20 and though it seems like we already know exactly which player New Orleans will take, there's still plenty of time for things to go awry. Just ask Anthony Davis.
