Philadelphia 76ers Lottery Experience Can Help NBA Draft
By Bret Stuter
The Philadelphia 76ers typically land in the favored range for a top five lottery pick. The 2017 NBA Draft is no different, but the Philadelphia 76ers experience improves team’s perspectives
The 2017 NBA Lottery is coming. In fact it’s just days away. At this point in time, you can rest assured the Philadelphia 76ers have studied their probabilities for all possible outcomes. Right now, the team can count on five picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. But the team faces quite a few decisions in this upcoming lottery.
For summary, the Philadelphia 76ers have odds of landing a pick anywhere from 1 through 7. But there are other forces at work. Due to swap rights with the Sacramento Kings, the team’s chances of landing a Top-Three pick improve by 10 percent. That gives the team 47.8 percent chance of landing a Top-Three.
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In comparison, those are better odds than the Los Angeles Lakers (46.9 percent)have of a Top-Three pick. Keep in mind, that is despite finishing behind the Philadelphia 76ers in the standings.
Los Angeles Could Be Bonus Pick
Speaking of Los Angeles, if they fail to land in the top three, the pick will land in the laps of, you guessed it, the Philadelphia 76ers. That pick could be anywhere from four to six.
On one hand, that gives the Philadelphia 76ers a worst case NBA Draft scenario of 7, 36, 39, 46, 50. On the other hand, the Sixers face a best case scenario of 1, 4, 36, 39, 46, 50. While the worst case scenario stings in the comparisons of what might be, it remains a huge draft haul. In fact, those five picks could deliver a great deal of talent to the Philadelphia 76ers roster next season.
If the Lakers pick conveys this season, a second Top-Six draft pick would truly make this year’s historical for the team in many ways. Coupled with the return to form for Ben Simmons, Jerryd Bayless, and Joel Embiid, the team will be involved in another major facelift for next season.
Since the 2017 NBA Draft is loaded with talent, there is no shame to the team even in a worst case scenario this year.
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Never Too Soon To Look Towards Future
Out of five picks, the Philadelphia 76ers should be able to find two starters, albeit it will take time to groom them throughout the season. Unless they have six picks…. hmmm. The struggle this year is the absence once more of the man with the furthest view in the room, Sam Hinkie. It was his perseverance which placed the 76ers into the better odds category.
Ultimately, it’s not where you pick but who you pick that made the NBA Draft such a magical event on his watch. Knowing which teams coveted which player became second nature. It also became a way of boosting value to the team.
Experience Paves Way
Now, that magic is gone. But the team has learned a thing or two about the NBA Draft as a result. It was that experience that helped the team land better lottery odds than their ranking earned. It will be that experience that has phones ringing in two-way conversations over what the team will pay or will ask for each slot in the upcoming draft.
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But it will also help the front office place teams into the category of desperate or not. Some teams will need to show immediate results. Some teams are at the point of blowing it up and starting over. And finally, some teams are good with riding their current roster.