Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Thursday 16 May 2019

NBA DRAFT

Continued from Page 17 got a top-two pick.
The lottery had a new for-
Maybe he should. The ping- mat this year, one that
pong balls seem to bounce the league hoped would
his way a lot. even the playing field in
Griffin was with Cleveland a number of ways and
when the Cavaliers won didn’t make all-out tanking
the lottery in 2011, 2013 a more enticing option to
and 2014. And now it’s the teams looking to maximize
Pelicans, his new employ- their chance at securing
er, which has struck lottery the No. 1 pick.
gold. They defied the odds The Knicks, Suns and Cavs
to do it; the Pelicans en- didn’t have much interest
tered the lottery with a 6% in winning this season, with
chance of winning the No. none winning more than
1 pick for the June 20 draft. 19 games. The ping-pong
So now, instead of going balls apparently weren’t
into a summer where they interested in having them
may have traded Davis — win the lottery, either.
the player New Orleans “I don’t think you should
got when it won the lottery ever not play to win bas-
in 2012, the player who was ketball games,” Pelicans David Griffin, New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, holds up
openly disgruntled this sea- coach Alvin Gentry said. placards after it was announced that the Pelicans had won the first pick during the NBA basketball
son — the Pelicans have “I don’t see where it would draft lottery Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Chicago.
a chance at becoming help you.” Associated Press
much better, and fast. Cleveland will pick fifth, Kevin Huerter, the No. 19 the No. 1 pick in this draft, “I don’t have any reaction,”
“This just jump-starts the followed by Phoenix, Chi- pick in last year’s draft and and he did not hesitate for Morant said. “I was just ex-
process,” Griffin said. “It’ll cago and Atlanta. Wash- part of Atlanta’s contin- even a second before an- cited to be here and be in
be harder for me to mess ington has the No. 9 pick, gent at the lottery. “Every swering. the position that I’m in and
it up than it would have Atlanta goes again at 10 team just has to go out and “Zion,” Fall said. “He’s a just to see how it all played
been before this.” and Minnesota is at No. find them.” once-in-a-generation play- out. Honestly, I don’t know
Memphis will choose sec- 11. Charlotte is next up, fol- UCF center Tacko Fall, er. I’d seen him on TV a lot, what number or where I’ll
ond, New York third and lowed by Miami at 13 and the 7-foot-6 draft hopeful, but when you play against land. Obviously, whatever
the Los Angeles Lakers will Boston at 14. That pick was played against Williamson this kid, you just see it. He’s team drafts me, I’ll be hap-
pick fourth. The Pelicans, conveyed to the Celtics by in the second round of the different.” py to go there and bring it
Grizzlies and Lakers all Sacramento as part of an NCAA tournament — a 77- Murray State’s Ja Morant, every night.”
moved up to get a top- earlier trade. 76 Duke victory that went projected by many as a Williamson was one of three
four spot; New York, Phoe- The Hawks felt they were down to the very last mo- strong candidate to be now-former Duke starters
nix and Cleveland had the big winners, too, after get- ment, a game where Wil- chosen No. 2 overall, was at the lottery — R.J. Barrett
best odds of winning the ting two top-10 picks. liamson scored 32 points. among the players in the and Cam Reddish were
lottery at 14% each, and “There are always good Fall was asked Tuesday audience viewing the pro- among the invited players
none of those clubs even players,” said Hawks guard who he would take with ceedings. as well.q
WNBA hires Deloitte CEO Engelbert as commissioner

By DOUG FEINBERG “It is an absolute privilege ment. The players opted
AP Basketball Writer to be joining the WNBA at out of the current contract
NEW YORK (AP) — The such an exciting and im- at the end of last season.
WNBA has a new leader portant time in its history,” This season will still be cov-
with a new title. Engelbert said. “I see tre- ered by the current CBA.
The league hired Cathy mendous opportunity to It’s been an active off-
Engelbert as its commis- bolster visibility for the sport season for the league,
sioner on Wednesday. The of women’s basketball, which begins its 23rd sea-
previous four leaders of the empower the players and son on May 24. The WNBA
WNBA had been known as enhance fan engage- announced a deal with
president. Since 2015, En- ment. I look forward to us- CBS earlier this month to
gelbert has been CEO of ing my business expertise broadcast 40 games on
Deloitte US, an account- and passion for basketball CBS Sports Network. The
ing organization that works to promote women in the WNBA also signed AT&T as
with Fortune 500 compa- game and beyond, and a top sponsor, added new
nies. She was the first wom- In this Sept. 20, 2018 file photo, Deloitte CEO Cathy Engelbert to working with the teams uniforms by Nike and re-
an to hold that job. participates in the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit: A World and world-class athletes to branded itself with a new
“Cathy is a world-class busi- of Change at The Times Center in New York. help grow this league into a logo. The league also had
ness leader with a deep Associated Press thriving business.” a promotional tie-in with
connection to women’s benefit significantly from ties.” Engelbert will start on July the highly successful “Cap-
basketball, which makes her more than 30 years of She replaces Lisa Borders, 17 once her term as CEO of tain Marvel” movie in Feb-
her the ideal person to business and operational who stepped down in Oc- Deloitte concludes. ruary and oversaw the sale
lead the WNBA into its experience, including rev- tober. NBA deputy com- One thing the new commis- of the New York Liberty to
next phase of growth,” enue generation, sharp en- missioner Mark Tatum has sioner will have to deal with an investment group led by
NBA commissioner Adam trepreneurial instincts and been the interim president relatively quickly is the col- Brooklyn Nets minority own-
Silver said. “The WNBA will proven management abili- since Borders left. lective bargaining agree- er Joseph Tsai. q