It must be the bow tie.
Nick Gilbert, the 16-year-old son of Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, was again a lucky charm for the franchise in the NBA’s annual draft lottery Tuesday night, as Cleveland won the rights to the top pick in next month’s draft for the second time in three years with the younger Gilbert serving as the team’s representative and with the entire Cleveland contingent wearing bow ties.
“It feels good,” a beaming Nick Gilbert said after the announcement, which saw Cleveland capitalize on its 15.6 percent chance to move up from the third spot to number one. “I just knew it. I just had a feeling.”
The Cavaliers, who also have the 19th pick in this year’s draft along with a pair of second-round selections, began the bow tie tradition in 2011, when they won the lottery and eventually selected point guard Kyrie Irving with the top pick.
They continued it last year, when Nick Gilbert again took the stage, only to wind up with the fourth selection, which they eventually used to select shooting guard Dion Waiters. as the Cavaliers continue to rebuild the franchise in the wake of LeBron James’ decision to take his talents to South Beach back in the summer of 2010.
“God, am I excited for everybody in Cleveland because it’s been a rough few years here,” Dan Gilbert said. “But we know we’re rebuilding it, and we’re going to get another number one pick to add to the great young guys we’ve got, and another pick and 19 and then 31 and 33, we’re going to be right back in it next year in a big way.“For everybody in Cleveland who has supported us through these three years, I think this is for them.”
A year ago, the Nets were hoping to move up to the top pick in the annual draft lottery. This year, however, they were home after their first round playoff exit at the hands of the Bulls, and still searching for their next coach.
Their first choice to replace departed interim coach P.J. Carlesimo, Phil Jackson, said he thinks someone will do well with the Nets roster — it just won’t be him.
“Well, the Brooklyn situation, I think, is a good situation,” Jackson said yesterday in an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
The 11-time champion head coach spoke with Nets general manager Billy King about the opening, but Jackson reiterated his intention never to coach again.
Jackson also said he has never had contact with the Clippers, who announced they won’t be signing coach Vinny Del Negro to a new contract, about an opening. Jackson also said he never was contacted by the Knicks.
“No,” Jackson said, adding he wasn’t disappointed about it. “They’re pretty locked into the people they’ve got there, and they have a nice rapport between [general manager Glen Grunwald] and [coach Mike] Woodson.
“That Indiana connection goes back a long way. They think alike, they have a good idea of what they want to have. That’s pretty solid.”
With Jackson off the table and Doc Rivers deciding to remain in Boston, the Nets are in a holding pattern until Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw — both of whom are expected to interview with the team — complete their respective playoff runs.
Hollins and Shaw could draw interest from the Clippers, who now rival the Nets for having the most attractive job to offer prospective coaches this offseason after making what has been a long-expected decision to not bring back Del Negro, whose contract expires this summer and who most didn’t expect to be back with the Clippers next season.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling made the trip to San Antonio Sunday for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, a trip many expect is to watch Hollins, who led the Grizzlies past Sterling’s Clippers in the first round. The Clippers are expected to give star point guard Chris Paul — an unrestricted free agent this summer — a large say in who will be the team’s next coach.
The Nets also are likely to speak with former Bucks, Bulls and Suns head coach Scott Skiles at some point.