Well we were fools for thinking

[Admin]

That either A) The lottery is rigged or B) that Stern gives a damn about Atlanta..........man this sucks

[hawkster411]

What bothers me is that the Clippers have a 10% chance of getting the number 1 pick. Instead, they get the number 2 pick.

The Clippers...why?!?!??!?!??!

The Hawks deserve a top 3 pick...I can't believe our luck.

[Admin]

had we not lost that tiebreaker against the Clips or not won one of the games that we did at the end, we would have had the Clippers lotto outcome...and Dwight Howard. This really really sucks. I dont even know why I watched.

[hawkster411]

That's a great point about the Hawks losing that tie breaker with the Clippers.

I'm wondering what Billy Knight is thinking right now?

[Admin]

We shoulda sent Nique.....he has been the only good luck charm in my 20+ years of life as a Hawks fan

[hawkster411]

Should have sent Harry the Hawk!

[SunsFan]

Horrible day for Hawks and Suns. I didn't really believe the Suns would move up but I was really hoping Orlando didn't get the #1 pick. Now we have practically no chance of trading for TMac.

Doesn't this make 3 times Orlando has gotten the #1 overall pick in the last 12 years. Jesus. I don't think PHX has ever gotten a #1 in its franchise history.

[Wretch]

I wasn't totally convinced that it was rigged; but I was SURE that if it were we were going to get hooked up. I am less convinced now (about 70/30) ... because we will probably still come away with the guy that we want. The Clips are going to trade that pick.

So to all that I've went round and round with...

*a graceful bow*

(and a )

*lol*

[thescout5]

All the games the hawks won to lower our chances in the lottery really paid off.For it we get a much lower pick and one that probably may not be a franchise saver like Howard or Okafor.Granted they aren't Shaq but could be high quality players.Instead the Hawks who desperately need a franchise player are stuck in the middle of the pack,and worse the players who got us a number of wins Sura and Jackson may not even be on the team.

This franchise is cursed and can never do anything right. I am sick and tired of seeing Pat Williams winning the lotoo.To me they threw the season letting Mcgrady sit out which they would have probably lost anyway but with Mcgrady they could have won a few more.The clippers are always near the top of the lotto and how many years does it take to build there team.At least the hawks tried to win and for that are penalized while the Bulls,Magic,Bullets,Clipps saw the light and wanted a better player. This sucks!There may not be a difference between pick 3 and 15 but the hawks lost out on the top 2 difference makers in the draft!

Another year of empty seats and no potential superstar!

[Diesel]

We're we really fools for believing???

New Owners.

New Players.

The top HSer praying that he goes to Atl.

Franchise Low for attendence.

The first time in History, the lottery was moved from Sunday to Wednesday... to air at the same time as the finals of American Idols?

If ever there was a stage set for the fix... This is it...

One measly tie break keeps us from getting to #2???

Now, that's Tragedy!

[Wretch]

Orlando is taking Okafur. The Clippers don't need any more front court help - and they definitely don't need a Hssr. They're going to trade the pick. To whom is the question. They need a PG, we got one we might be shopping...

Stay tuned...

[Plainview1981]

It's just so frustrating to get so close. Throughtout

the Hawks history things like this have happend. I think

one time the Hawks should have had Dr.J and something

stopped him from playing here. So close, yet so far

away. Have to hope for a trade up I guess.

[Nicholasp27]

the thing is, lac have NO need for howard

and all of the top pg prospects will still be there at #6

so even if they don't want take on JT's salary, they may be willing to deal #2 for #6/take on bad contract or #6/cash or #6/2nd rounder or #6/future pick

[Lascar78]

Ha!

let's review the predictions of rigging:

-Atl gets top 3 , guaranteed

-A team like Philly or Toronto may get top 3, they need the little boost

-Guarantee that the clippers will not move up to top 3, and that the bulls should slide out of the top 3

Hmm, well I guess NONE of them panned out. I'm not going to ramble on with some "i told you so" rant, I'm just amazed that you still think there could be a fix after the outcome was just about the exact opposite of what you and diesel and such were claiming.

At least you're admitting fault. I seem to remember Diesel saying he'd admit the lottery wasn't fixed if we didn't get top 3, but I didn't hear anything from him...

[Wretch]

A - I never said the lottery was fixed; I said that I don't believe that it is 100% legit.

B - I said that the results in the past have been convenient (they still are) and I looked for that trend to continue in this draft IF it were rigged.

C - I said that there are reasons why Stern would want to have a hand in fixing it; and, if anything, the results of this lottery justify that.

[edit] D - I also said that it is possible for the lottery to be fixed.

I never guaranteed that the Hawks would get the #1 pick - that was Diesel. I did not guarantee that the Clippers and the Bulls would not be in the top 3 - what I said was that if the lottery was fixed that there is no way they'd be given a top pick. I did not say that any of that WOULD happen - only that if it did happen, I would be less likely to believe that the draft was rigged.

Pull up and repost as much of what I've stated as you'd like.

I also said that some years perhaps Stern lets things play out to aviod the conspiracy talk...but when it matters (such as when a Duncan, Shaq, or LeBron is on the line) then perhaps he would fix something. Additionally, you do realize that we were one ball away from being handed the #2 pick: it fell 3-9-11-13 to the Clippers and the Hawks had the combination 4-9-11-13. Coulda-shoulda been us...

Regardless, I believe less (a lot less) in the conspiracy hype because even if Stern wanted to "fix" it to avoid suspsicion, THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THAT THE CLIPPERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOOKED UP.

Good day.

[Wretch]

If things had fallen exactly as I had predicted, then I wouldn't have said anything - the results would have spoken for themselves. I did say that we wouldn't get the #1...that we'd likely get the #2 and that the team with the first choice would be inclined to take Okafur. I also said that I belive Orlando would have the overall #1.

Just for clarity's sake.

[Diesel]

Quote:

---

The Magic captured the lottery with the first draw of pingpong balls, earning them the No. 1 choice in the June 24 draft, likely either Connecticut center Emeka Okafor or prep star Dwight Howard, should they keep the pick.

What happened next was incredible.

When the hopper was reloaded to determine the second pick in a secured room on the third floor of the NBA Entertainment Studios, the combination of pingpong balls then came up Orlando again.

---

[DominiqueWilkins]

Don't be down in the dumps so soon, as you never know what can happen.

Even if we are stuck with the #6 pick, atleast we will fill some voids.

[Sage11]

I sure hope there is "intrigue" with the Hawks. They may seek to fill their needs elsewhere.

[pathway23]

I hope the man upstairs "calls" Howard to demand a trade from whoever drafts him to the Hawks

can he do this?