The NBA draft lottery is coming and the final standings for the season are set with the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic as the bottom five teams in the league and they will be looking at Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and D'Angelo Russell as targets.
The Knicks missed out on getting the worst record in the NBA after winning over the Atlanta Hawks, but they are still in good position in the lottery. There has not been a lottery winner that has had the worst record in a decade and that means Knick fans should not fret. The team is second worst and they have a 19.9 percent chance of getting the top overall pick.
The Timberwolves clinched the top spot, or the bottom, with 16 wins on the season and they have a 25 percent chance of winning the lottery. The Knicks have 17 wins and the Sixers are next with 18 wins. The Lakers have 21 wins and the Magic have 25 wins from the 2014-15 regular season. The Kings, Nuggets, Pistons, Hornets, Miami Heat, Pacers, Jazz, Suns and Thunder are next in the lottery list and this year there are some caveats depending on what teams end up where.
For example, according to ESPN.com, the Lakers have a top five protected pick for 2015 and owe the Sixers a first rounder, while the Heat also could end up conveying a pick to the Sixers. The main players in the draft this year are Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns and those two could be targets for the number one overall pick.
Okafor had the edge during the college season, but he slumped a bit in the tournament and now Towns has emerged as the likely number one. Okafor had a strong season with 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds and he helped Duke win a national title. Towns has emerged as a strong option for the Knicks if they get the top pick and they likely will take him if they are two and Okafor goes number one.
Emmanuel Mudiay and D'Angelo Russell are also getting attention and they could be options in the top five along with Cauley-Stein, who played with Towns at Kentucky. Justise Winslow has declared and he also is an intriguing prospect after playing at Duke. Sam Dekker has also declared and some first round possibilities include Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from Arizona, Devin Booker from Kentucky, Montrezl Harrell from Louisville as well as Cliff Alexander from Kansas.
Check here for the NBA standings and updated odds.
http://espn.go.com/nba/standings
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2432215-nba-draft-lottery-2015-projected-order-and-odds-for-every-team-involved
The top of the lottery standings -or bottom of the NBA, technically-for the lottery this year include:
Minnesota Timberwolves
NY Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers
