SCC Blog

The real winners of the NBA Draft Lottery? How About Seattle!

Although beating the odds and securing the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft (they had a 5% chance of winning) was certainly a reversal of fortunes for the downtrodden Blazers franchise, I really believe the real winners of the NBA Draft lottery are the Seattle Sonics.  The Sonics ended up with the second overall pick.

Although I was pulling for my former employer (Portland Trail Blazers), I firmly believe the Seattle Sonics coming up with the second pick will make a bigger impact on their franchise…and that is saying a lot.  I spoke with several Blazers employees right after the draft and they were absolutely ecstatic.  After several down seasons with a poor product on and off the court, the Blazers have clearly righted the ship.  Thinking back to last year, I wonder if the franchise feels a sense of vindication after having the best chance to land the number one pick in last year’s draft but ending up with the fourth selection (a pick, incidentally, which was used to select this year’s Rookie of the Year, Brandon Roy).

What’s so special about getting the 1st or 2nd pick in this year’s draft?  Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.  The two most spectacular, dominating freshmen to play college basketball in a long time have both made themselves eligible for the NBA.  Both players have been projected by just about everyone to make an instant impact on whichever team is lucky enough to land them, potentially taking them to the promised land.

In some ways, picking second this year might actually be better than picking first.  Either way, the team walks away with an instant impact player, both on the floor and on the balance sheet.  Both players will most certainly make their team better and will help sell tickets and sponsorship, increasing revenues in many ways.  By picking second, the organization will be in the unique position of having their pick made for them.  They won’t have to agonize over which player is worthy of the number one pick.

Another reason the Sonics are winners in the draft is that they endured a season plagued by injury last year.  Their two top players, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, spent a lot of time on the injured list.  Had the pair been healthy all season, the Sonics surely would have finished with a much better record, diminishing their odds of winning the Durant/Oden sweepstakes.

Ultimately, Seattle wins because the franchise value gets an instant boost, offering their new owners more flexibility in the ongoing negotiations to determine whether the Sonics franchise stays in Seattle or relocates to Oklahoma City. 

Let’s not forget another BIG winner in this scenario…Comcast.  Yes, the same Comcast who announced just ONE DAY before the draft plans of a new sports network built around Blazers basketball…talk about good timing!

One thing is for sure…both the Blazers and Sonics were big time lottery winners!  The future of both organizations will be shaped forever by this draft.

*** Teacher’s Note ***

Talk about how the NBA Draft lottery impacts the teams involved from a business and marketing/sales perspective.  In addition to the teams in Portland and Seattle (who hit the proverbial draft lottery jackpot), consider the implications for the Memphis Grizzlies who had the best odds of winning the draft lottery and/or Boston Celtics who had the second best odds.

Also, discuss how the NBA as a league is impacted from a media perspective by the draft results.  Portland and Seattle are on the West Coast, limiting the exposure these two phenoms will receive.  Will that affect ratings?  How might the endorsement potential of each athlete be impacted by the teams that draft them? 

Posted in General, Public Relations/Publicity, Ticket Sales |

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