DETROIT – The NBA draft lottery is tonight, and the fate of the entire Detroit Pistons franchise hangs in the balance.
OK, that might be hyperbole, but this is actually very important. Everyone wants the No. 1 pick so they can select Victor Wembanyama, or, at the very least, a top three pick to land Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson.
Even though the Pistons finished with the worst record in the NBA by a full five games this year, there’s no guarantee they’ll receive one of the top picks. In fact, considering the franchise’s lottery “luck” (we all know it’s rigged) in the past (besides 2021), we’re all expecting the worst.
Here’s every possible draft pick the Pistons can receive, and how likely they are to get each pick:
- No. 1 pick: 14%
- No. 2 pick: 13.42%
- No. 3 pick: 12.74%
- No. 4 pick: 11.97%
- No. 5 pick: 47.87%
Many people think the NBA lottery is a scam. How does it make sense that the worst team in the NBA is nearly four times more likely to land outside the top four than it is to receive the No. 1 pick?
On the bright side, the Pistons have a 40.16% chance to land a top-three selection.
The lottery is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, on ESPN. The actual drawing probably won’t take place until a bit later.