The 14 teams that were not able to make the playoffs, which includes the four teams that made the play-in games but failed to advance, are eligible for the lottery. It’s important to note that the Dallas Mavericks will give their pick to the Knicks unless it falls in the top 10, and the Chicago Bulls will give their pick to the Orlando Magic unless it’s in the top four.
A random draw will determine the top four draft picks, with weaker teams having better chances. Picks 5 through 14 will be allotted in reverse order of the teams’ records. Each of the three weakest teams in the regular season, the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets, and the San Antonio Spurs, has a 14 percent chance of getting the top pick. The rest of the teams have smaller chances on a sliding scale.
It’s worth noting that what is seen on TV during the broadcast of the lottery is a ceremonial unveiling of the draft order. The actual lottery is held just before the broadcast in front of a handful of league, team, and news media witnesses sequestered in another room. There have been claims from conspiracy theorists that the NBA fixes the draw to benefit teams in bigger markets, notably for the inaugural lottery in 1985 when the Knicks won and earned the right to pick Patrick Ewing. However, there has never been any credible evidence that a draft lottery has indeed been fixed.
Assuming that Wembanyama goes No. 1 to the team that wins the lottery, it appears that Picks 2 through 4 are also coming to a consensus amongst draft prognosticators. Those picks are likely to be Guard Scoot Henderson, Forward Brandon Miller of the University of Alabama, and Guard Amen Thompson. However, that could change depending on which team gets what pick.
While it’s generally assumed that the team that gets the top pick will be set, the past has shown that this is not always true. Players such as Greg Oden, Anthony Bennett, and Ben Simmons were all picked as No. 1 draft picks, and their performances were disappointing. Nonetheless, NBA teams and fans alike eagerly wait for the lottery to see which team will have the right to draft Wembanyama, and hopefully turn their fortunes around.
In conclusion, while some may view the NBA draft lottery as an odd spectacle, it is, in fact, a crucial event that can impact the future of NBA franchises. It’s a much-awaited event for basketball fans, and while the teams that win the lottery are never a guaranteed success, this year’s draft is sure to bring about some excitement for fans.
<< photo by Markus Spiske >>
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