Frank Franklin II/AP
How close was Cooper Flagg to being a Bull?
A half-court prayer by Josh Giddey against the Lakers, an unnecessary 20-point victory against the tanking 76ers in the regular-season finale or two comebacks from 20-point deficits from way back in October. Pick only one.
If any one of those games had gone the other way, the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday would be a coronation in Chicago rather than a game of chance.
That’s the price of ‘‘competitive integrity’’ in the NBA these days.