Ping Pong Balls to get John Wall

As if 70 losses weren't bad enough.

The New Jersey (for two more years, then Brooklyn) Nets suffered another loss tonight in earning not the first or second pick in the NBA draft, but the third. Not even the presence of new owner Mikhail Prokhorov could get the ping pong balls to fall the right way for the Nets.

No John Wall, no Evan Turner, no playoffs.

I don't care that Prokhorov promised the Net fans he would give them "plenty to cheer about" and that he expects a championship in a "maximum of five years," the 2010-2011 season will be another terrible year for New Jersey. I don't doubt that Prokhorov wants to win and will do everything in his power to make the Nets win, but without Wall or Turner, it'll be interesting to see which will be lower, the Nets attendance or their win total.

The Nets just can't catch a break.

Prokhorov is a fascinating person and will threaten Mark Cuban for the title of most interesting NBA owner, but unlike baseball, being one of the richest men in the world doesn't help in the NBA. Good luck getting Lebron without John Wall.

The Washington Wizards, who had a 10.3% chance to get the first pick, won the lottery. The Washington owner was immediately asked if he was going to draft Wall and responded, "I have no idea." That would be complete BS on the Sportsnation BS Meter. Of course Washington is drafting Wall, they'll just have to make sure he doesn't get shot in the locker room.