The ping pong balls didn’t fall the way the Washington Wizards wanted — and with just a little bit of luck, they could have walked away from the NBA Draft Lottery with a top pick.
Alas, the universe is always going to make the Wizards’ life somewhat more difficult, and now the (interim) front office will have to find a way to unearth a gem later in the draft than anticipated.
The ninth pick — while not ideal — is still the highest draft selection the Wizards have had since 2013, when they picked Otto Porter third overall.