According to statistics released today by the NBA (see below), the woeful Charlotte Bobcats stand a 25 percent of landing the No. 1 pick at the upcoming NBA Draft lottery.
Kentucky freshman forward Anthony Davis, the consensus National Player of the Year, is expected to be that No. 1 pick and the Bobcats better hope they get him.
Michael Jordan’s club finished the season 7-59 and with 23 straight losses. Their winning percentage was the worst in NBA history.
“The best thing that can happen is for all the Ping-Pong balls to fall their way, get the No. 1 pick, pick the kid from Kentucky and they’re on their way,” former NBA coach and current TNT analyst Mike Fratello told the New York Times.
The last NCAA champion to be the No. 1 pick was current Tulsa head coach Danny Manning in 1988. Davis and the Wildcats won the NCAA championship earlier this month in New Orleans.
The Washington Wizards have a 20 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick and the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets both have about a 14 percent chance.
2012 FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE ORDER
The teams entered in the lottery, to be held on May 30, 2012, are as follows (note: the first three picks in the Draft will be determined by the lottery and the remainder of the “lottery teams” will select in positions 4 through 14 in inverse order of their consolidated standings at the end of the regular season):
TEAM RECORD LOTTERY CHANCES (out of 1,000) Charlotte 7-59 250 Washington 20-46 199 Cleveland 21-45 138 New Orleans 21-45 137 Sacramento 22-44 76 New Jersey* 22-44 75 Golden State# 23-43 36 Toronto 23-43 35 Detroit 25-41 17 Minnesota (To New Orleans via LA Clippers) 26-40 11 Portland 28-38 8 Milwaukee 31-35 7 Phoenix 33-33 6 Houston 34-32 5 The order for the remainder of the first round picks is as follows: 15. Philadelphia 35-31 16. New York (To Houston) 36-30 17. Dallas 36-30 18. Utah (To Minnesota) 36-30 19. Orlando 37-29 20. Denver 38-28 21. Boston 39-27 22. LA Clippers (To Boston via OKC) 40-26 23. Atlanta 40-26 24. LA Lakers (To Cleveland) 41-25 25. Memphis 41-25 26. Indiana 42-24 27. Miami 46-20 28. Oklahoma City 47-19 29. Chicago 50-16 30. San Antonio (To Golden State) 50-16 * This pick may be conveyed to Portland. # This pick may be conveyed to Utah via New Jersey. 2012 SECOND ROUND DRAFT CHOICE ORDER 31. Charlotte 32. Washington 33/34. New Orleans (To Cleveland via Miami) 33/34. Cleveland 35/36. New Jersey (To Golden State) 35/36. Sacramento 37/38. Toronto 37/38. Golden State (To Denver via New York) 39. Detroit 40. Minnesota (To Portland via Houston) 41. Portland 42. Milwaukee 43. Phoenix (To Atlanta) 44. Houston (To Detroit) 45. Philadelphia 46. Dallas (To Washington) 47. Utah 48. New York 49. Orlando 50. Denver 51. Boston 52. Atlanta (To Golden State) 53. LA Clippers 54. Memphis (To Philadelphia) 55. LA Lakers (To Dallas) 56. Indiana (To Toronto) 57. Miami (To New Jersey) 58. Oklahoma City (To Minnesota) 59. San Antonio 60. Chicago (To New Jersey via Milwaukee or to LA Lakers via New Jersey and Milwaukee)
