Let the conspiracy theories about the NBA draft continue.

NBA draft lottery has been the source of speculation and conspiracy theories among sports fans since the 1985 draft, where the New York Knicks won the right to draft Patrick Ewing. The envelope that gave the Knicks the first pick had a sinister bend in the corner, starting the speculation. Most years since, it has been easier to prognosticate which teams would end up with the top three picks in the draft then who would succeed in the NBA playoffs.

So is the conspiracy in effect this year as well? Some would say yes.

First, lets look at the teams that did NOT get one of the top three picks. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics both were accused of intentionally losing games in order to receive a better pick and better odds at the top spot. When David Stern created the draft lottery in 1985, it was to prevent teams from taking dives to get a better pick. The fact that the teams that took the dives finished with the worst possible picks they could receive should surprise no one, assuming you believe the draft is rigged.

Next we’ll look at the top spot claimed by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have started rebuilding their team, trying to get away from their thuggish past. The Blazers succeeded last year in trading for LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy. Roy was named Rookie of the Year, and the team improved in 2007. Stern has a habit of rewarding teams that rebuild through crafty drafting and are only one piece away from a possible playoff berth. When The Bucks drafted Vin Baker as a foundation with a lower pick, they were rewarded the next year with the #1 pick Glen Robinson. While I was not surprised that the Blazers moved up in the lottery, I am surprised that the first pick went to them and not the Sonics.

The second pick in the draft went to the Seattle Super Sonics. The Sonics are a team in the middle of a controversy involving a new stadium. Stern believes Seattle is an NBA city, and would like to keep the team there. What better way to get people interested in a team that is struggling? Give them a player that everyone will talk about. If they fail to get a new stadium, a team with a top young star will help convince other cities to build a new stadium.

The third pick in the draft went to the Atlanta Hawks. There was no chance the Hawks were going to fall out of the top three, otherwise the pick would have went to the Phoenix Suns. The pick was part of the Joe Johnson trade last year that initiated controversy in the Hawks organization. Some of the ownership group thought the Hawks paid too much for Johnson, and the GM was under fire. If the Hawks had fallen out of the top three, their pick would have went to Phoenix and there would be more dissension in the ranks in Atlanta. This is why it was guaranteed they jump into the top three.

The rigging of the NBA lottery is a given, like a Bengal being arrested before the season, or Rickey Williams being suspended for marijuana use.