Video: Cavs Fans React to Getting 5th Pick in 2019 NBA Draft Lottery

Published by

Brad Sullivan

7 years ago

The Cleveland Cavaliers and their fan base experienced a major letdown at Tuesday night’s NBA Lottery in Chicago when they were awarded the fifth overall pick.

The realization that the team likely won’t be drafting either Zion Williamson or R.J. Barrett from Duke University, nor Ja Morant from Murray State University, hit hard for fans watching in downtown Cleveland.

With this year’s draft a question mark after those three choices above, the Cavaliers must now take a look at many more candidates than they had hoped when they finished with a 19-63 record for the 2018-19 season last month.

The fact that the top pick was obtained by the New Orleans Pelicans holds some irony for the Cavaliers. That’s because the man who will be making that top choice will be the Cavs former general manager, David Griffin.

The Cavaliers had the same odds of obtaining the top pick as the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, with both teams also coming up short. The Knicks have the third overall pick and the Suns have the sixth for the draft on June 20.

Brad Sullivan

Brad Sullivan is a lead writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has spent much of life in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and has remained a Cavalier fan from their 1970 beginnings through the return of LeBron James. While that fandom was sorely tested during the Reign of Error known simply by one word, Stepien, that overall historical perspective will be part of his writing for Cavaliers Nation in the months ahead.