<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Los Angeles Lakers' projected absence from the postseason for the first time since 1994 was a distinct possibility three weeks ago and a foregone conclusion a week later. Tuesday night it became a reality for Kobe Bryant's team as well as the Hawks. The Lakers' 125-99 loss to Phoenix, coupled with Denver's 94-91 win over Memphis, doused whatever raggedy dreams the post-Shaquille O'Neal Lakers had of playing beyond the end of the regular season. That scenario also nixed the Hawks' rights to the lottery-protected draft pick they would have received from Boston in the June NBA draft. The pick was the prize of a Feb. 24 trade deadline deal that sent Antoine Walker back to the Celtics for Tom Gugliotta, Michael Stewart and Gary Payton --- who never played here and has since rejoined the Celtics. The Hawks will have to wait until next season for that pick, which the Celtics received in an earlier trade with the Lakers. Barring another pre-draft deal, which is always a possibility, the Hawks will have only one first-round pick, as opposed to the two they would have had if the Lakers had made the playoffs. The summer refurbishing process engineered by general manager Billy Knight will continue. The Hawks, armed with an expected $20 million of cap space, should be huge players on the free-agent market. But for a team struggling through an 11-63 season, both the draft and the July free-agent bonanza are of equal significance to the franchise's future. </div> Source
Well Boston is doing good, so the pick wouldn't have been to high, but it definately helps the Lakers who can get some decent talent from it..
