NBA Mock Draft: With NBA Draft Lottery week here, we rank the lottery teams that deserve Victor Wembanyama the most.
The NBA Draft Lottery is nearly here. In a matter of a few days, we’re going to get some much-needed clarity at the top of the 2023 NBA Draft. And one team will leave the draft lottery with (essentially) the rights to Victor Wembanyama, who is the unanimous No. 1 overall prospect heading into this year’s NBA Draft.
And heading into the NBA Draft Lottery, he’s the biggest headline. Who will land the No. 1 overall pick? While it’s a random lottery, that doesn’t mean that some good old-fashioned karma can’t come into play for a few of these NBA franchises. Heading into the lottery, we rank each team participant that is the most deserving of earning the No. 1 overall pick.
13. Dallas Mavericks
Pre-lottery odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick: 3%
I don’t knock tanking but there is a right and wrong way of doing it. Quite frankly, what the Mavs did at the end of the season was downright gutless. The Mavs played all season long to win and then when it looked like they were going to lose their top 10 protected pick, they then decided to tank. I just don’t agree with that line of thinking.
I respect a team for tanking, but you have to tank from the beginning of the year. The Mavs did not, got fined for it, and should not be rewarded for it in the way of the No. 1 overall pick. While I would be intrigued by a Luka Doncic-Victor Wembanyama duo, the Mavs don’t deserve it.