So, The Utah Jazz suck at the NBA Lottery.

For the hardcore who have followed the Utah Jazz from Stockton and Malone, Tinsley and Jeremy Evans, to Mitchell and Gobert, you likely have a base understanding of two things.

First: Jordan Pushed off.

Second: The NBA hates the Jazz and will never allow them to move up in the draft.

Ok, maybe the NBA doesn’t hate us, but the Jazz sure have some presence that has rooted itself in between the franchise and the ability to get a better draft selection.

This unexplained conundrum is likely a large reason of why Jazz fans were anti-tank two years ago and why most Jazz fans have pivoted to that mindset within the last day.

In the rare circumstances that Utah tears it down, shuttles away superstars, intentionally loses games and focuses solely on the youth and draft capital, the Jazz still can’t truly tank.

It appears to not be in the cards, and nothing proves that better than yesterday’s draft lottery results.

The Atlanta Hawks, who had a 3 percent chance at the #1 overall pick compared to Utah’s 6 % chance, ended up with the very first pick in the draft.

Utah fell two spots from their original projected 8^th overall selection to 10^th overall.

The Hawks won 5 more games than Utah and appeared in the NBA play-in game for a playoff spot.

Utah explicitly plummeted at the end of the year playing some of the worst ball you’ve ever seen in your Jazz fandom by losing 20 of their last 25 games.

Despite the Hawks dysfunction, it was clear these teams were on two different wave lengths.

And….. it didn’t matter. Atlanta will now pick 9 spots higher than the Jazz.

The Brooklyn Nets selection, headed to the Rockets, had a 4.5 percent chance at #1, and despite them not getting that, they still jumped Utah and nabbed the third pick overall, 7 choices above.

At the expense of sounding like a whiner, I am aware that the Jazz organization has dealt with very little in way of tough drawn out rebuilds.

I know the Pistons exist, and things could be much worse.

Jazz nation has been given a winning product much more often than not, but this isn’t about the rebuild working or not working right now.

This is about the Jazz being cursed.

Ever since the draft lottery was created in 1985 to “prevent” deliberate tanking, the Jazz have shown up only ten times including this year.

In those 10 instances, the Jazz have never moved up, not once.

In those 10 instances, the Jazz have lost positions three times or 30 percent of the time.

Yesterdays two spot plummet was the worst in Utah’s short lottery history.

Ironically enough, Utah entered the lottery with their second highest shot at selecting the #1 overall pick.

In 2005 they had an almost 9 percent chance, this year it was a 6 % shot.

Fans weren’t expecting the first pick, but with an almost 25 percent chance to move into the top four, there was a great chance Utah finally moved up the ladder.

10 years of trying, ten years of breaking even or losing out.

The draft talent this year may be a bit questionable but Jazz fans were really hoping for a bone in an area they haven’t been able to catch a break.

Sure, some teams still find ways to draft superstars at pick #10 or pick #13. Its not the end of the world.

Until you consider who Utah has selected with their lottery awarded draft selections.

Excluding Taylor Hendricks and his to be determined future, the Jazz have yet to land anyone close to resembling a “star.”

It started with Kris Humphries in 2004 and has created a list composed of: Martell Webster (Traded on draft night), Ronnie Brewer, Alec Burks, Shabazz Muhammad (Traded on draft night), Dante Exum, Trey Lyles and Taurean Prince (traded on draft night.)

While some of these players carved out respectable NBA careers, few did so with Utah, and those who did, didn’t live up to the label of “lottery” selection.

The draft is hit and miss. More failures than successes. I understand.

But Jazz fans seem a bit distraught, as the team they love is supposed to be rebuilding, but rather than receiving tools and plywood, all they have is a rusty toolbox, a broken screwdriver and some outdated scotch tape as of the time being.

The luck could turn, the curse could be broken, maybe the Jazz are about to strike gold with the treasure trove of future draft capital they hold, but fans sure aren’t enjoying waiting.

All eyes will be on the trade market and free agency for Utah faithful, as the draft doesn’t appeared to be primed to change the direction of the franchise barring any surprises.