Cleveland Is My City: LeBron Returns to Cavs

LeBron James came home. Many people are praising him for returning to the place he called home for the
first seven years, and the state he grew up in.  It is great for the NBA. The idea of LeBron going to Houston or Los Angeles would be the same, old tired narrative about James leaving for a better opportunity as he sees a sinking ship with Miami.  LeBron heading back to Cleveland brings everybody back to the player that a majority of the country loved and adorned for years. It couldn't have been played more perfectly from James as he won the Summer.

We all know about the letter by now.  Sports Illustrated Lee Jenkins is the best NBA feature writer right now with Zach Lowe of Grantland right there in another capacity, but Jenkins writes elegant features doing athletes very fair. James' camp gave him the scoop where the newest Cavalier explained the whole situation in his own words where Jenkins made The King's words into his own. The idea of calling Miami his version of college couldn't have been said better.  It was a four-year journey where James got his degree in championships. Even though I am new media (Actually I am nothing, but whatever), it was refreshing to see old media getting the biggest sports story of the summer.

LeBron comes to the team as the 'old man.'  This hasn't happened yet and it is so damn fascinating to see how it will play out.  James has always been the leader of the team, but Miami and former Cleveland always had multiple older players. Now LBJ has a stable of young players like Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson, Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. Granted, Mike Miller or Ray Allen could be on this team, yet right now, there are only two players older than James. It is a group of young guns playing with a guy they might have looked up to in the last decade. All of these players will get better even Waiters whose been the runt of this group. There have been much talk about Waiters-Irving relationship, but it feels like this could be a huge step for Waiters.

Many people wonder why James could play for Dan Gilbert, the same guy whom ripped him with Comic Sans on the night of The Decision. The fact of the matter is time heals all wounds. Gilbert is a clown. He is an unlikable figure in the NBA, but at the same time, he made a hell of a pitch to get LeBron back to Cleveland. He is a salesman and did just that with LeBron. I don't think this will be like the first time around where Gilbert found his hands in everything. He might not be able to help himself which could be the downfall, but James signing a two-year deal puts everyone in the front office on notice. They need to win right now and don't drive LeBron away from Cleveland again.

James says he will not leave Cleveland. He wants a better deal in 2016 when TV money could be readily available for James to bankroll himself. If anyone is calling him greedy should take a long look in the mirror because everyone would have taken James short-deal to make it an even bigger deal in 2016.   The jury is out whether he should be believed right now or not. If Cleveland doesn't make the NBA Finals in these two years, does James start getting the thirst to look elsewhere or does he really want to bring another championship to Cleveland?  That's a question left out in space to ponder in the next coming years.

Cleveland becomes a contender in the Eastern Conference, and the Central Division becomes the beast of the Eastern Conference. This is a bad news for Milwaukee's professional basketball program. People love the idea of the Bucks playing in this division because it will toughen them up playing against high competition, 12 or 16 times (Detroit could be pretty good too) and who cares if they loses heavily. I get that whole idea, but what needs to be realized is Milwaukee needs to start winning early and often to build the momentum from the casual fan base as an attempt to buy people in on a new arena. If Milwaukee continues to be in last place, there will not be much growth for this Bucks team.

LeBron will head back to Cleveland in one of the most anticipated starts to the NBA season. There are some games where we want to see what the crowd will look like versus the actual game itself.  That's what late October in Cleveland will be like this year.

Charlie.

Cleveland Clears The Way For LeBron

LeBron James made the month of July about himself again like he did in 2010. James went from being a guy whose going to opt-out to make more money and stay in Miami to he might end up either playing for Miami again or a return to Cleveland. The latter became much more of a possibility on Wednesday morning when Cleveland cleared cap space by trading away Jarrett Jack and Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn and Boston in a three-team deal to pave the way for max money for James. Cleveland is either welcoming their King back or getting hurt again although this time the pain for them shouldn't be the same. 

There is a real chance LeBron comes back to the city where it all began. The city is alive right now with sports due to Johnny Manziel and the up and coming Browns plus Cavaliers have a young nucleus ready to make the playoffs. LeBron joining the fray would put Cleveland in the epicenter of all sports, and all fans of James rejoicing they can wear their 23 Cleveland jerseys again. It is hard to get into the mindset of Cavs fans right now, but you have to think people are writing on walls or computers 'I will not get excited about LeBron James' 'I will not get excited about LeBron James.' I mean there is no way this fan base is going to burned again, right? 

If it were me, I would lie in the weeds, read as little as possible and try to believe that this isn't a reality until we see James holding up a jersey next to Dan Gilbert and Kyrie Irving. There is a chance right now, but in no way should Cleveland fans get excited. What's cool about this whole free agent saga is the Cavs pushed their chips in. They didn't pussyfoot around this thing, and instead cleared out money to attempt to sign LeBron to a big deal. Why the hell not? Let's go for it, that has to fire you up as a fan whether LeBron comes back to Cleveland or not. At least, they aren't resting on their laurels here because they know they cannot. 

The great thing about this whole thing is Cleveland has a ton of money to spend if LeBron decides to stay put in South Beach. Rumors are Trevor Ariza will be the play whom could be a good option for them to add a wing to this team plus a little veteran leadership and a guy whose excelled with a strong point guard. They could also make a slight run at Pau Gasol. They have some young big men inside, but why not at least see what Pau's interest would be in playing with a bunch of young players? It wouldn't hurt. They have money to blow if LeBron becomes unavailable.  The fact of the matter, Cleveland's risk is a good one because having all of that money is not a bad thing. Losing Jack is not the worst thing in the world, he didn't fit in with the Cavs system. This was a solid move by them, and if people are calling it dangerous play or anything like that is completely wrong. 

The other thing about not getting LeBron is this team is still on pace to be a good one with Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. The last one might be a stretch, but that's a solid young core for the future especially in the Eastern Conference. It is not like LeBron is the savior in this situation. I do not think this is too much of a reach to say Cleveland could be a deep playoff contender in the next couple of years as Irving heads into his prime including the other two coming near it as well. Cleveland will be a fun time with or without LeBron. 

The biggest question if LeBron comes back, do we have a video of 'Coming Home' or 'Cleveland is My City?' I am available to make either one, just ask.

Charlie. 

Jabari Parker: A Peek Into Milwaukee's Future

Milwaukee Bucks fans have waited for Thursday night since the start of the new year. It was evident Milwaukee headed for the top of the draft lottery given their struggles in the 2012-2013 season. For months, people debated whether Milwaukee would draft Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid. At times, everyone wanted Wiggins. Other times, it seemed like Parker became the choice. Embiid had his moment in the sun as well. But when the dust settled, Parker became the newest member of Milwaukee's professional basketball organization. 

Everything that he is doing is a perfect recipe for Milwaukee. Allegedly, Parker said he wanted to be a part of the Bucks organization due to its proximity to his hometown of Chicago, and he supposedly tanked the workout with Cleveland to ensure they would draft Andrew Wiggins. Whether that's true or not, causal Bucks fans all wanted Parker because it finally seemed like a player wanted to play for Milwaukee. You don't see that often. Todd Day said 'Mil-wauuuuuuk-ee, damn' when the Bucks drafted him in the mid-90's. Milwaukee once drafted a player in Yi Jianlian whom despised the idea of coming to the Cream City. Parker is a breath of fresh air. 

This is exactly what the Bucks want right now as an organization with new owners, trying to build a new arena and trying to start a future. If a small-market team wants to be a contender, they need to build through the draft. Brandon Knight, John Henson, Larry Sanders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Parker are all top-20 picks (Knight drafted by Detroit). O.J. Mayo once was a top-five pick, but he doesn't count at this point. This is a smart foundation for the future. Milwaukee will be an outside contender for a playoff appearance next season. It could be a true transition year, but the Bucks are inching closer to being a top-tier contender in the Eastern Conference.

The great thing about the Eastern Conference is anything can happen honestly. With the West, it is a complete dogfight and could take years to come back to prominence. In the East, we have a team like Toronto going from a top 10 lottery pick to being the three seed this year in the NBA Playoffs. I am not saying Milwaukee get that fortunate, but anything is possible for Milwaukee next season. And if things go to hell again getting another top notch lottery pick isn't the worst thing in the world even if it sounds like the worst thing ever at this juncture. 

For years and years, we have waited for the Face of the Franchise for Milwaukee Bucks, and it feels like this team now has two of them with Giannis and Jabari. This could be the next great duo in the NBA. Sure, Wiggins and Kyrie Irving could be great, yet at the same time, there is some uncertainty if Irving will be there for very much longer. More so than 2010 when Brandon Jennings made a little push, this is the most exciting time it's been to be a Bucks fans in quite a long time, probably since 2000. This is the start of something special. 

When it gets closer to the season, we will talk about managing expectations for this team and Parker, but right now, let's relish in the fact Milwaukee is in a great spot. 

Charlie.

Bucks Draft: Who Will It Be?

Call it a cop out but I'm not going to make the mistake of trying to predict what will happen in an unpredictable. Rather, I'm going to lay out a few scenarios of what I think might happen. 

The day I've (we've all) been waiting for for the last six months is finally here.

The state of Wisconsin suffered through the worst season in Milwaukee Bucks history, en route to the worst record in the league for the '13-'14 season. They secured the number two overall pick in last month's draft lottery after the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world and somehow ended up with the first overall selection.

It was pretty much wide open as far as who could go where with picks one-three after the NCAA Tournament concluded. It was basically down to Kansas freshmen Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins, as well Duke freshmen forward Jabari Parker as the top three.

Then, after Embiid (fairly widely regarded as the best of the three) went down with yet another injury and had to undergo surgery, relatively unknown Australian guard Dante Exum has gone from the outside looking into the top three, to possibly being the third pick in the draft.

I rule out Exum going #1 or #2 because all reports are saying it's down to Wiggins or Parker at number one, then the Bucks will take whoever falls between the two diaper dandies with the number two pick.

ESPN.com's Chad Ford:

Sources: Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wants Andrew Wiggins at No. 1. Front office wants Jabari Parker. http://t.co/vkpjuqT2z4
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) June 25, 2014

Also, new Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry was in Milwaukee this past Monday and spoke to the media. He said the draft got easier because of the Embiid injury.

Lasry is ruling out Bucks taking Embiid. "Our decision got a lot easier, mainly because Embiid got hurt."
— cfgardner (@cf_gardner) June 23, 2014

That basically all but solidifies what's going to happen, right? The Cavs take either Wiggins or Parker and the Bucks get the "scraps" (I use quotes because they're both great prospects), right?

I don't think it's going to be as simple as that when it's all said and done. Bucks' GM John Hammond said they can't really narrow it down to just two players, which, the way he said it, I didn't think that they were leaning toward taking someone other than Wiggins or Parker. He just kind of stated the obvious and didn't want to lose leverage or limit their options.

Obviously, this is going to be a crazy night trade-wise. The Cavs have apparently been very active in shopping their number one overall selection for more assets or a star. To me, the Cavs have a number of avenues to explore and (once again) don't know what they're doing. They probably want to get LeBron James back but that's a pipe dream. Evidently, owner Dan Gilbert and his front office are split. Gilbert wants Wiggins but the front office favors Parker.

It's no wonder none of the prospects want to go there. Reported dysfunction, an insane owner and a pretty toxic lockerroom with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters hating each other.

Meanwhile, in sunny Milwaukee, things are great. The Bucks have new ownership invigorating the community and a young group of good guys like Giannis, Brandon Knight and John Henson among others.

Who knows who will be left at the beginning of the season?

What we do know, however, is that Parker wants to play in Milwaukee. That's normally filed in the "Shit No One Says" category in NBA discussions but it was reported earlier this week that Parker "tanked" his workout for the Cavs to ensure they wouldn't take him.

Parker doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do such a thing with his strong values and good character. Who knows, though? He's born and raised just down the road in Chicago and would be very close to his family. He did wear a green pin thing on his suit coat during his pre-draft media

What do I want?

I've long been a Wiggins fan over Parker. I've recently warmed more on Parker, especially since he allegedly wants to play in Milwaukee. I believe that Wiggins has more upside and might fill more of a need down the road offensively but fills a need defensively right away.

Parker is considered to be the most offensively NBA-ready but his defense needs a lot of work, not to mention he's a bit of a tweener. I think he's a four in today's NBA. I mean, he's 6'8" 250+ pounds. He should be able to hold his own.

It will be interesting to see what happens tonight. Again, gun to my head, I want Wiggins but I definitely wouldn't root against Parker.

Either way, it's a big night in Bucks' franchise history.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 94

Tapping The Keg Podcast is back with a loaded podcast with Charlie and Mitch. We talk about a great deal of things starting off with Summerfest. We talk about the idea of it as well as how it is cooler to be an underage kid there along with highlighting the headliners we would like to see in the next eleven days. It continues with talking about the World Cup with Milwaukee's presence on Sunday along with some talk about U.S. Soccer's chances tomorrow. We talk a little bit about Milwaukee Brewers and why Washington Nationals could be a scary team in the next couple of months. Around the 34 minute mark, we start diving into the NBA Draft covering all topics as to what Cleveland might do, why either Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins is fine with us and much more.

Charlie.

Just Pick Baby - Milwaukee's Easy Draft Slot

When it comes to the final week of any draft whether it be the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB, there are all sorts
of smoke screens that happen.  People want to try to throw off the scent of the other team. There were rumors of Duke forward Jabari Parker tanked his workout with Cleveland Cavaliers in order to get picked by the Milwaukee Bucks. Now it has moved to Cleveland being 50/50 on whom to pick between Andrew Wiggins and Parker. Dante Exum is starting to gain some momentum as well. It is officially the time where nobody know anything.

With Joel Embiid's latest injury picking second was the best thing to ever happen to Milwaukee's professional basketball team. Milwaukee doesn't have to decide to between Wiggins or Parker. They just have to pick the one Cleveland decided to pass on. It is that simple, no need to overthink things and do something stupid. Exum could definitely help the team, but international players this early have been costly for teams in the past. Milwaukee isn't going to do something crazy like trade out of the 2 position to help their team right away. All they need to do is pick the best player on the board.

Cleveland looks like they are going to make a pick. My assumption would be the asking price for the number one pick would be astronomically high. If they decide to trade the pick, all bets are off with what happens in this draft. After the first two selections, this draft might be one of the craziest ones we have seen in quite some time. There are so many different things that could happen after Wiggins and Parker are taken. If the Cavs trade the first pick, it will be a complete madhouse. Cleveland wants to make the playoffs therefore trading the pick might make sense, but at the same time adding a player like Wiggins or Parker could easily make this team a playoff contender in the weaken Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee gets to sit back and relax watching the world burn. They might work on trying to get another top 10 pick in the draft possibly from Sacramento or Philadelphia. Sacramento will have several offers to trade out of the top 10 with the latest rumor about Josh Smith getting traded then trying to get his buddy Rajon Rondo to California's capital (If this happens, we need a Hard Knocks of this team immediately). That package will not compare with anything Milwaukee has to offer tomorrow.  But at the top of the draft, Milwaukee only has to pick the guy left. That's pretty damn easy instead of all the different rumors happening with Cleveland in the past couple of weeks.

I know completely nothing, but it seems like Milwaukee would like to get back into the first round. If it is not Sacramento, it will be another team, possibly Phoenix, a team with two picks in the first round. Milwaukee seems like they would like to add to their arsenal by getting another first round pick in case the four second round picks don't pan out. Further, I believe Milwaukee will also take someone overseas that they can store for a couple years like they did with Zaza Pachuila and others since they have a mass quantity of picks in the second round.

This is the single most exciting day in the last couple years for the Bucks. They have been hanging around the eighth seed for the last couple of years and finally bottomed out like every Milwaukee fans hoped for in years past. Now, it's finally here. We will discuss the expectations and what might come with it in the coming days, but right now, it is time for Bucks fans to enjoy this moment.

Charlie.

Ford: Bucks and Lakers Could Be Trade Partners

ESPN.com's senior NBA writer and insider, Chad Ford, said in his chat yesterday that the Lakers are possibly looking to deal their #7 pick in the upcoming draft. Ideally, they'd like to get a veteran All-Star to go with Kobe Bryant but he speculates that they might not get such a talent for said pick.

Here's what he said exactly in response to a fan's question regarding the Lakers' plans for the #7 pick:

 Kobe is coming back. He doesn't want to be in the lottery. Of the players that will be left on the board when the Lakers draft, both Marcus Smart and Julius Randle would be instant impact players. But they wouldn't have the same impact that a veteran All-Star would. I think the Lakers will try hard to package that pick to get back a veteran talent to pair with Kobe if they can. But that's a big if. Teams covet the No. 7 pick, but I don't think they get Kevin Love, Al Horford, LaMarcus Aldridge for it. Maybe something like Larry Sanders and Brandon Knight.

This isn't totally far-fetched as it's been reported that the Bucks are likely to be active when it comes to acquiring another first round pick.

Naturally, this intrigues Bucks fans because with the new owners, you'd like to have a brand new infusion of rookies to move the franchise forward. I love Larry and Brandon. They're good guys who genuinely like (don't mind) playing in Milwaukee. However, you would be clearing a lot of future salary with Sanders' 4/$44 contract kicking in this coming season. I'm guessing the owners wouldn't be opposed to getting out of his deal after his shenanigans this past year.

Also, Knight will be in the final year of his rookie contract and will most likely be due to be overpaid after he'd undoubtedly improve yet again this year. Knight averaged a very solid 18 and 5 on the worst team in the league last year. He's too much of a gym rat to not improve.

The Bucks would more than likely have to take back a guy like Steve Nash for salary filler. Not sure what would happen with Nash if he did end up in Milwaukee but if he stays, I could definitely think of worse locker room guys to mentor the youth.

I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense for the Lakers to deal the pick because Kobe's clearly not getting any younger and this would be their chance to find the next legend to replace him, as they always seem to do.

The problem the Lakers face is that, outside of the #7 pick, they have exactly zero assets. They ended up not trading Pau Gasol, Nash is done, Kobe is done and the rest of their players last year were tank commanders. Nick Young, Wesley Johnson, Xavier Henry, etc. You kidding me? The only thing I'd be interested in personally (other than the #7 pick), would be Kendall Marshall who showed what he could do after the Lakers took a flier on him halfway through the season.

If the trade were to go down, they'd gain two assets from one and could have some talent to go with Kobe and they'd still have money to throw at a free agent this offseason.

For the Bucks, you'd have the #2, #7 picks as well as the plethora of second rounders that John Hammond covets. You could be looking at taking Jabari Parker and Marcus Smart with the 2 and 7 picks respectively. Those wouldn't be my two choices but those two have the best chance at impacting a team both on the court as well as turning the culture of the organization.

This type of trade really gives you options in a few different areas (who to take, who to start, etc.). Areas that I won't get into right now because that will be its own post, Tappers. That is all for now.

Be good.

-Big Money

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 89

Tapping The Keg brings you another edition this week with episode 89 featuring the usual stalwarts, Charlie and Mitch.  We talk about the song of the summer, and pick our selection which will most definitely be wrong. We move on to discuss the NBA Lottery night with Milwaukee Bucks, Mallory Edens and much more. It moves to baseball where we talk about the lack of media attention towards Ryan Braun, talk about Carlos Gomez's worth as well as what to do about Wei-Chung Wang. We discuss Colt Lyerla with the Packers, and why some journalists need to take a little step back before calling it a 'gutter' move. A wee bit of NBA Playoff talk to wrap it up. Really fun 50 minutes

An Open Letter to NBA Draft Prospects About Milwaukee

One of the more depressing parts of the NBA Draft is how many prospects do not want to go to Milwaukee.  I decided to write them an open letter to them.  

Dear Dante Exum, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker and anyone to whom this concerns,

I know you don't want to go to Milwaukee. No one really does as an NBA player. Even in the early 90's, this was a problem with one of the most famous Draft Day moments with Todd Day going MILWAUUUKEE... Damn (Kevin Hunt is the man, 'All we do is drink cheese and beer' is a gold line), but truly, this is a great city with a bright future and the opportunities could be endless. But once again, I understand why Milwaukee doesn't sound as alluring as some of the other lottery picks.

Not every year do you see Los Angeles Lakers, winners of 16 NBA Championships or Boston Celtics, winners of 17 NBA Championships although did you know the Bucks have a championship under their belt in 1971?  Los Angeles and Boston are nice, but truth be told, the Lakers could be a mess for awhile plus Boston might be a year or two away as well. The same could be said for the Bucks, but they have a wealth of young players to not only play with but also hang out with in Milwaukee.

I realize Milwaukee gets a bad rap for the lack of a nightlife scene and that's probably accurate for an NBA player. There aren't swank clubs that only the elite hang out at meaning you will probably run into some fans attending a night club here. Just don't throw any bottles, okay. And yes there are no strip clubs downtown and don't be fooled by Arts. But the fact of the matter is there are a bunch of young guys to hang out with off the court like John Henson, Brandon Knight and Giannis Antetokounmpo whom are all under the age of 24. The nightlife might not be there, but at least you are not walking into a situation where you are the only rookie without many other young players.

The other thing about Milwaukee besides the nightlife and the franchise is the thought your brand will die in Wisconsin. Wrongo.  First of all, look at Kevin Love. He plays or played pending on this summer in Minneapolis, a little bigger city than Milwaukee, but he built his brand into multiple Taco Bell commercials along with being a must-follow on Twitter. Second, look at what Ryan Braun did before the PED scandal, what Aaron Rodgers has done and it is clear to see if you are as good as the Internet says you could be, the brand will go in a major way in Milwaukee. Plus you will be seen as a cornerstone of the players who saved Milwaukee basketball. Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it?

There will be pressure to win like anywhere else, but it might not be as intense as say Cleveland. The Cavs are picking their third top pick in four years, and with Kyrie Irving, there is a need to win right away. Bucks fans would love to back in the playoffs, but honestly, if they end up in the lottery for a second straight year, it is not the end of the days more so the continuing building process. Now, if they are still there after the second year, it becomes a problem. But right now, Milwaukee is about as low pressure as they come, right now. The microscope will be on because you are one of the best NBA rookies, but the local media will not be breathing down your neck.

All of this letter has been said without talking about the city of Milwaukee. It's a great one with a loving fanbase that will come back in no time. It's already building. Hopefully, you reconsider your stance on Milwaukee.

Signed,

Charlie Tritschler
CEO of SnoTap

Milwaukee Bucks: A New Era Begins

I've been lacking on my Bucks coverage over the past few weeks and for that, I apologize. Not to go all Tritschler on you but I was out of town visiting the parents two weeks ago and generally busy since then...so back off.

Alas, a new era of Milwaukee Bucks basketball has begun and the new blood has brought some marked excitement across Wisconsin.

New owners Wes Edens and Marc Lasry were officially approved by the NBA's Board of Governers this past Thursday and have seemingly taken the reigns from the shackles of Herb Kohl since then. Somewhat surprisingly, the new owners' haven't made any really drastic moves yet. I feel that many Bucks fans want a fire sale of the front office and coaching staff and for the organization to start completely anew.

Personally, I'm on the fence when it comes to the front office. I think GM John Hammond is decent to really good at drafting and assistant GM David Morway seems like more of the analytical type and could form a solid duo with Hammond when not under the control of a meddling owner.

As far as the coaching staff is concerned, I say dump them all. The play on the floor is generally a good barometer of how well the team is coached. How'd that turn out? The '13-'14 Bucks had the worst record in franchise history. Larry Drew was definitely part of the problem and is not part of the solution.

One thing the new owners have done properly was showcasing Edens' daughter, Mallory, at the draft lottery last night. She became the Internet's newest crush in a matter of minutes. Some might say Edens should be ashamed for taking advantage of his 18 year old daughter. In reality, it was a savvy business move to get the team some easy publicity.

Sites like SportsIllustrated and BroBible picked up on this and Mallory Edens was the second most talked about topic nationwide on Twitter last night.

The Internet’s Newest Crush is Mallory Edens, and She is Gorgeous -- http://t.co/5mT1olaTgs
— BroBible (@BroBible) May 21, 2014

Mallory Edens, daughter of Bucks owner, breaks Twitter during NBA draft lottery show http://t.co/zGVj8nUQTi (via @SI_ExtraMustard)
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 21, 2014

Here she is, Tappers:

Also, one Bucks fan put this cheesy song together which I thoroughly enjoyed:



Anyway, speaking of the Draft Lottery, Mallory's looks weren't even enough to get the Bucks the number one overall pick and instead, they'll have to settle for the number two overall pick as the #1 went to Cleveland (AGAIN!).

To use a cliche: I'm not upset the Bucks didn't get the number one pick, I'm just disappointed that Cleveland got it again and they won 18 more games than the Bucks this past season.

However, there was plenty to be happy about around the league regarding the lottery:

• Pinheads in Wisconsin can breath easy as the Lakers and Celtics didn't leapfrog the Bucks and take the one and two spots in the draft, due to preferential treatment. In fact, they didn't move up at all.
• The Detroit Pistons really got screwed on a trade technicality and went from a mid-lotto selection to having no first-rounder at all, meaning they won't get an injection of young talent into that wasteland of a starting five. They gave a $35 million contract to Stan Van Gundy and now have no lotto pick for him to choose.

The Bucks having the second pick isn't really the worst, all things considered. Granted, it really depends on who you want them to take and who the Cavs end up taking before the Bucks. ESPN's Chad Ford says they like Andrew Wiggins and also that they like Joel Embiid. I think they might also consider Jabari Parker at #1, given how antsy they are becoming to get back into the playoffs. 

I really want Wiggins so I'm hoping the Cavs take a chance on Embiid or go for the more sure-thing in Parker so he falls in our lap. I won't cry over getting any of the three or Aussie guard Dante Exum at #2.

I just think Wiggins can be plugged right into the Bucks' starting lineup at the shooting guard right away and can form a great defense-transition combo with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Many have said that Wiggins has the most upside but will be a bit of a project. I disagree. His defense is NBA ready and Bill Self didn't make the best use of the prodigy at Kansas. As I've said before, Giannis and Wiggins in the open court could be basketball porn.  

The draft is June 26 and there will be plenty of discussion and stories about what teams and potentially draftees are doing and not doing between now and then. Undoubtedly, the most sickening ones will be involving Kevin Love and where he thinks he wants to play and so forth. Love is arguably my favorite player but it will be unbearable after a few more weeks.

That's all for now, Tappers. Fear The Deer.

-Big Money