What of the lottery?

somebody on the list said:
 Still, getting the top spot and drafting Duncan is not 
a given with the lottery system, so wasting this year may not pay off.

Is there any other player out there besides Duncan that makes it 
necessary to waster this year?  I hope so, because if we don't get 
him, then not only will this year be a waste, but many years to come!

What of that?  Even the team with the worst record only has a 1-4 chance of
getting the man we all dream of.  And it is amost impossible to trade up for
it, although having two lottery picks and a talented big man doesn't hurt.
 (Remember  86?  Second worst trade of all time -- the number one pick
OVERALL for Roy Hinson.  You'll never see that happen again.  People finally
realize that a number one pick is the only gateway to greatness, particularly
if a center is involved.  If we can't somehow get Duncan, I wouldn't mind
Thomas, if he is, as they say, a bigger Garnett.  Thats quite a stretch,
though.

"With the first selection in the 1997 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select .
. . TIM DUNCAN of Wake Forest University"

Say it, dream it, let it be..