Oct 21, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve reacts to a call during the game against the Indiana Fever during the WNBA Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeated Minnesota 87-78. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Excellent road map to coping with the NBA Draft Lottery results as a Wolves fan over at Grantland. There are just so many ways to say something is awesome, so I’ll just say it is.

I have no time to do a rundown/prediction of the NBA Conference Finals, but I will say this: Lance Stephenson isn’t going to replicate his Game 6 performance against New York against anyone, much less an ailing Dwyane Wade. Tyler Mad Dog Hansbrough will get suspended for being himself. David West will be Indy’s most consistent performer and Roy Hibbert will play like Miami has nobody who can guard him. Both of them don’t really.

But it doesn’t matter because Miami scores off turnovers and Indy turns it over. Miami’s shooters will keep Indiana’s thuggishness in check. The way these playoffs have gone, bigs have held serve and as teams that depend on small ball have run out of ammunition in the slow, slog that is the postseason. But not this time. My prediction? Small ball for the win.

Joe Mande (@joemande) is a stand-up comedian and a writer for Parks and Recreation. He is awesome.

If you truly want to know what it feels like to root for the Minnesota Timberwolves, all you have to do is watch the NBA draft lottery. The lottery plays out the exact same way every year. The night starts off with a feeling of dread, as you recall the disappointing season that’s led to this moment: all the errant passes, the fluke injuries, the missed dunks. Then the ceremony begins — those stupid ping-pong balls start bouncing around in that dumb plastic bin — and no matter how hard you try to fight it, you can’t help but fantasize a little bit. You start to think maybe this is the year the Timberwolves’ luck changes. Maybe this is the year they jump up in the draft and get that missing piece they need. Maybe this is the year they reach their true potential. Then suddenly all those stupid ping-pong balls are taken out of that dumb bin, Cleveland is handed the no. 1 pick, Minnesota hasn’t moved up in the draft at all, and we’re back to feeling that familiar sense of dread.

It’s the five stages of lottery-related grief. Welcome to Minnesota.

No improvement of your lot, if you’re the Minnesota Timberwolves. You fought gallantly in March, putting your best foot forward and ignoring the implosions of previous years. What good did all that non-tanking karma do you? You got what you deserved. And, so… with the number nine pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves elect to do what, exactly?

Stay put? Trade up? Trade out? There are options. Those are them.

Mar 24, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Injured Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love wearing street clothes looks on in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Target Center. Bulls won 104-97. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Should the Wolves accept their fate, they can choose between the KCP and McCollum leftover shooting guard combo platter, should McCollum’s DAZZLING interviews at the combine in Chicago not vault him up the ranks of so many mock drafts as to have the Bobcats over-thinking things, the odds are one of them will still be around come the ninth pick. But is that good enough for a Rick Adelman team hellbent on turning this thing around after two years of incompetence and ill-fated health dashing all… blah blah fatalistic blah?

Well, if you don’t want to wait around, there are moves to be made. Rumors have it, the Lakers are more than a little interested in moving into the lottery. There’s a deal to be explored there and the pieces are begging to pack their bags.

Or, if Glen Taylor is unwilling to part with the highest draft pick in Wolves history (hint: not Kevin Love), there is more to be had in draft pick dealings. Just think: what did the Wolves have to give up for their best perimeter threat last year? Hint: it was a first rounder — but it was a first rounder of 9 pick’s lesser value than the one the Wolves just found out they had Tuesday night.