"If you're not first, you're last" the great Ricky Bobby once declared.

That seems like the perfect quote to describe the inevitable conclusion for the Washington Wizards in the 2012 NBA Lottery.

The lottery is filled with plenty of "connect the dots" and typically the end result is about as transparent as a Nick Cage movie.

The stage has been set for Mr. "I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can" to wear his newly (NBA liscensed) BROOKLYN Nets hat, while David Stern (his NY neighbor) does the league's newest money tree franchise a solid.

If the Nets don't get the #1 pick in the draft I'd be shocked.

Who would be surprised to see MJ and MKG paired together in Charlotte?

As for the 3rd pick? The Hornets paid a few hundred million reasons for why they should get a top 3 pick with either of their lottery selections.

This leaves the Wizards in an all to comfortable position of being one spot away from the "difference makers", selecting 4th in what many consider a three players draft.

Now personally I'm not sold on Bradley Beal at this point. I'll wait until official measurements come out from the combine until I'm willing to pencil in a potential 6'2" SG with a top 3 pick, but that's another post for another time. I digress...

The Wizards have the fourth pick and could opt to go BPA with Thomas Robinson? Perhaps go for upside in Andre Drummond? Maybe take position of need with Harrison Barnes? Or maybe they look to trade back for multiple picks in a draft where the talent is pretty evenly spread from 10-22?

Another option would be to trade for a player and a pick (Ted's favorite). Maybe New Orleans for their second lottery pick and Xavier Henry, Milwaukee for their pick and Ekpe Udoh, or Houston for one of their 1st round picks and Chase Budinger?

With the 4th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft the Washington Wizards....