Wolves' NBA draft luck has been all bad

Minnesota never has improved its draft slot in 11 appearances in the lottery. Tonight, the Wolves hope to reverse that trend.

Last update: May 20, 2008 - 1:30 PM

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NBA DRAFT LOTTERY 6:30 tonight • TV: ESPN NBA Draft Lottery Results revealed starting approximately 6:55 p.m tonight on ESPN At stake: The right to select either Kansas State 6-9 freshman forward Michael Beasley or Memphis 6-4 freshman guard Derrick Rose -- this year's consensus top two players -- in the June 26 draft. The Wolves: The odds say the Wolves will pick fifth (29.05 percent chance). They have the third-best chance -- 13.8 percent -- of getting the first overall pick. Miami has the best chance, 25 percent. Draft party: There's a draft-lottery party for Wolves fans at the NBA City restaurant inside Target Center from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight. Pay the Pick promotion: Buy upper-level end season tickets for $1 a game if the Wolves get the No. 1 pick, $2 if they get No. 2, etc. You must pay a $43 deposit before results are announced. Call 612-337-DUNK or visit www.timberwolves.com.

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Get used to disappointment.

That's a line from an old movie, but it could just as well serve as a slogan for the Timberwolves and their remaining faithful fans when it comes to the NBA's annual game of chance, the draft lottery.

Sixteen years ago, the Timberwolves finished with the league's worst record and selected Christian Laettner third overall in a 1992 draft that featured difference-makers Shaquille O'Neal first and Alonzo Mourning second.

Every time it seems, the Wolves select one rung down. Remember 1994, when Glenn Robinson, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill went 1-2-3 and the Wolves took Donyell Marshall fourth?

Given that this summer's draft offers Memphis freshman guard Derrick Rose and Kansas State freshman forward Michael Beasley as the two big prizes, long-suffering Wolves fans probably assume their team will pick third, or worse.

Never once have the Wolves beaten the odds. Six of 11 times, they have dropped anywhere from one to three selections lower than their regular-season finish. Of course, except for each lottery's first two teams chosen, every team has a better chance of moving down a slot or more than moving up.

"The lottery, if you're waiting on that," Wolves basketball boss Kevin McHale said. "... That's like going into the bingo parlor and putting your finger on B12 hoping that it hits."

JERRY ZGODA

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