With the NBA Draft Lottery scheduled for approximately 8:00pm Tuesday night, Philadelphia 76ers fans have a lot to look out for.
Whether you are a Philadelphia 76ers fan that feels this is the first step in newly hired president Bryan Colangelo’s plan to build the 76ers into a winner, or the last step of former 76ers president Sam Hinkie’s “Process” (yes there are some fans that can not let it go that he’s gone), you will have a lot to look for while watching the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night. Here is what you need to know while watching.
Team: Sacramento Kings
Picks to pay attention to: 11, 10, 9 and 8
Why should we pay attention to where the Kings pick: The 76ers have the right to swap first round picks with the Kings as apart of the trade that also got us Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. Because of this potential swap, the first team logo that 76ers fans should be looking for is that of the Kings. Assuming we have not seen the Kings logo at picks 11, 10 or 9 (They have a 20.8% chance of falling to one of these three picks), we should see their logo when the eighth pick is announced as they have a 74.2% chance of not moving up or down in the draft. If a different team shows up here, that means they have jumped up into the top three picks.
How likely is it that this will happen: The Kings have a 6.8% chance of moving into the top three picks and a 1.9% chance of moving up to the number one pick in the draft. If they happen to leapfrog the 76ers then look for us to swap picks with them this year. Lloyd Christmas and Mary Swanson can sum up my thoughts on how likely I think this will happen.
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Picks to pay attention to: 5 and 4
Why should we pay attention to where the Lakers pick: The 76ers enter the evening with a chance to have two picks in the top five thanks to the 2015 trade deadline three-way deal that sent the 2013-2014 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for the Los Angeles Lakers top five protected first round pick. The pick did not convey last season due to the Lakers getting the second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Therefore, it has a chance to convey this year. The pick is top three protected this year. If we do not see the 76ers logo with a notation that the pick comes from the Lakers at the fifth or fourth pick, that means the pick will not convey this year.
Related Story: Draft Lottery: Explaining the Rules
How likely is it that we will get this pick this year: The Lakers finished with the second worst record this season below our beloved 76ers. They have a combined 55.8% chance of landing in the top 3 and 44.2% chance of landing the fifth or fourth pick in this draft. Odds are on the Lakers side of keeping the pick but all it takes is one team slotted for picks 4-14 to jump into the top three and bump the Lakers out. With odds close to but not quite 50/50… well, I’ll let Kevin Garnett handle this one.
Note: For the record, I’m 37 years old and remember the days of the 76ers vs Boston Celtics rivalry so the fact I’m using a Celtics championship celebration clip is making me sick to my stomach!
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Picks to pay attention to: 4, 3, 2, 1
Why should we pay attention to our own pick: 76ers fans have been looking forward to this day for most of the season as it will dictate our future. The 76ers will pick no lower than fourth this year but these are words that no fan wants to read; nor picking third like we have the past two years. If our logo appears at either of these slots, most fans will be feeling like Townie from “The Waterboy.”
The 76ers enter the evening with the best chance to land the first overall pick as well as landing one of the top 3 picks. They have a 67.7% chance of landing in the top three. The probabilities for each pick are as follows (all picks include the Sacramento Kings odds due to the potential pick swap):
#1 – 26.9%
#2 – 22.6%
#3 – 18.2%
#4 – 32.3%
This draft is a fairly deep one however, the star power that the 76ers need can be found with the top two picks. Most mock drafts have LSU power forward Ben Simmons as the number one overall pick with Duke swingman Brandon Ingram as number two. I’m sure most fans would love to have the number one pick but will be just fine if we land number two and will celebrate like this.
The 76ers have been acquiring assets and sacrificing wins on the court for the past three seasons but, with some luck and good scouting, the team’s fortunes could start to take a turn for the better.