2013 Team-by-Team NBA Draft Lottery Preview

With the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery set to take place on May 21 on ESPN, nine participating lottery teams collaborated to answer three lottery-related questions about their respective squads. Check out what the Magic and other lottery teams think about their needs, what getting a Top 3 pick would mean for their franchise and whether or not luck has been on their side before.

ORLANDO | Dan Savage, OrlandoMagic.com
Pre-lottery slot: 1

Orlando Magic

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Magic
Although there may not be a clear-cut franchise-altering superstar in this year’s class, Orlando believes it can find a player that will not only aid in its long-term goal of creating sustainable success, but also bring added excitement to the fan base. The draft lottery odds suggest that the player should come in the Top 3. Even though Orlando finished with the worst record in the NBA, its chances of obtaining the first overall selection are only 25 percent. However, Orlando’s odds of securing a Top 3 selection are a favorable 64.3 percent. By rule, the furthest the Magic can fall is to the No. 4 spot, which has just a 35.7 percent chance of occurring.

Lottery Luck
Who needs a rabbit’s foot or a four-leaf clover when you have Pat Williams? The Magic will be armed with plenty of luck when they head to the NBA Draft Lottery on May 21 as Senior Vice President Pat Williams will join team representatives in New York. Orlando has won the lottery three times (1992, 1993 and 2004), second to only the Los Angeles Clippers with five. Williams has been present at all three victories, including the historic 1993 draw, when the Magic defied overwhelming 66-to-1 odds (1.5 percent chance) and earned the opportunity to select No. 1 for the second straight season. Those back-to-back selections (Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber, who was traded on draft day for Penny Hardaway) allowed the Magic to build the foundation for the first Finals squad in franchise history. Orlando hopes it can catch lightning in a bottle once again.

CHARLOTTE | Matt Rochinski, Bobcats.com
Pre-lottery slot: 2

Charlotte Bobcats

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Bobcats
The Bobcats best chance of getting the No. 1 pick came last season when they entered the lottery with the greatest chance of winning. They didn’t and ended up with the No. 2 overall pick and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is a key piece to the Cats plan. Bobcats Chairman Michael Jordan, President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins and General Manager Rich Cho remain committed to building the franchise through the draft. Charlotte has the second-best odds of landing the top pick, but any pick inside the Top 3 will be expected to step in and contribute as best they can. The Cats would like to find an impact player who will immediately fill one of the team’s needs either inside or out, but a Top 3 pick could also prove to be a valuable trade chip should the Cats management opt to use it that way.

Lottery Luck
This will be the Bobcats ninth lottery appearance, and the ping-pong balls have yet to bounce their way. In fact, the only way Charlotte improved its position was in its expansion year in 2004 when it was given the No. 4 pick by the NBA and traded it to the Los Angeles Clippers to move up to No. 2 overall. Other than that, the Bobcats pick remained status quo in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011, but they fell back two spots to No. 5 in 2005 and one spot to No. 9 in 2008 and No. 2 in 2012. What does it all mean? Hopefully it is time for Charlotte’s luck to change.

PHOENIX | Greg Esposito, Suns.com
Pre-lottery slot: 4

Phoenix Suns

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Suns
Getting a top 3 pick would mean a lot to the Suns’ franchise and its fan base. It would mark the first time in over two decades that they wound up with a pick higher than No. 7 and could help add another piece to a growing young foundation for the future. As the league has proven time and time again, building through the draft is one of the best ways to assure success and that is precisely what new General Manager Ryan McDonough and the Suns’ front office is trying to do. Moving up in the lottery would go a long way to helping that process.

Lottery Luck
Frank Sinatra sung “luck be a lady tonight” back in his heyday. On Tuesday, in his beloved New York City, Phoenix hopes she’s finally a Sun. Since the 1969 coin toss that cost the Suns the No. 1 pick and sent Lew Alcindor to the Milwaukee Bucks, a team with 11 more wins, the franchise hasn’t exactly been the epitome of lucky. Despite some rough breaks, the organization is coming prepared to the lottery with lucky charms and a large amount of hope for the future. Oh, and maybe even a little Sinatra on the iPod.

NEW ORLEANS | Jim Eichenhofer, Pelicans.com
Pre-lottery slot: 5

New Orleans Pelicans

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Pelicans
Understandably, the excitement and anticipation locally for this year’s lottery has been relatively tepid compared to 2012, when a raucous celebration resulted from New Orleans landing the No. 1 pick. Still, jumping up into one of the top three spots would give the Pelicans considerably more options and leverage on draft night. Even if New Orleans merely remains in its current fifth slot following the lottery, the prospect of pairing another talented young player with the 20-year-old Davis is an exciting one.

Lottery Luck
Several NBA franchises have legitimate reason to complain about their (mis)fortune in past draft lotteries. New Orleans isn’t one of them. In 2012, draft analysts said there was only one surefire, franchise-changing player available, but New Orleans won the right to select Davis at the lottery. Over the club’s 25-year history, it has only been a lottery participant roughly half the time, yet is one of seven NBA teams to prevail at least twice (forward Larry Johnson was the prize for winning in 1991). In addition, the team’s last two All-Star point guards (Baron Davis, Chris Paul) were the result of a fortuitous change in selection order at the draft lottery.

SACRAMENTO | Alex Kramers, Kings.com
Pre-lottery slot: 6

Sacramento Kings

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Kings
The Kings hold 6.3-percent odds of securing the first-overall selection and the highest probability (43.9 percent) of nabbing pick No. 6. Since landing the No. 1-overall choice in 1989 (Pervis Ellison), Sacramento is yet to move up in the lottery, selecting just once in the top three (1991 – Billy Owens). Jumping from its projected spot would give the team an opportunity to land another potential franchise cornerstone capable of making an immediate impact. As the Kings aim to get back into postseason contention, adding a top-three pick could instantaneously fill team needs by either pairing rising star DeMarcus Cousins with a talented frontcourt prospect or adding a pass-first point guard to compliment Thomas, Thornton and Tyreke Evans in the high-scoring backcourt.

Lottery Luck
Sacramento looks to defy lottery odds, where it has moved down from its projected draft position in eight of the previous 17 drawings – twice falling the maximum three spots. Yet, while the ping pong balls haven’t always bounced the team’s way, the Kings have continuously landed exceptional talent in the draft, including Rookie of the Year Evans (No. 4 in 2009), one of the NBA’s top young big men in Cousins (No. 5 in 2010) and outside scoring threat Jimmer Fredette (No. 10 in 2011 – acquired via trade that included Sacramento’s No. 7 selection).

DETROIT | Keith Langlois, Pistons.com
Pre-lottery slot: 7

Detroit Pistons

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Pistons
The emerging consensus is that Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore, in some order, are the top two talents, though teams with a pressing need at point guard might have to consider national player of the year Trey Burke. Given the presence of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, would the Pistons spend the No. 1 or 2 pick on Noel, coming off an ACL reconstruction? If you buy the characterization of McLemore as a budding Ray Allen, you could hardly draw up a more ideal ingredient to add to the young mix that also includes Brandon Knight in Detroit. Safe to say it’s a year where teams that land a top-three pick won’t be immediately transformed.

Lottery Luck
In three straight trips to the lottery, the Pistons have stayed in their pre-lottery position (No. 7 in 2010, No. 9 in 2012) twice and moved down once (No. 7 to No. 8 in 2011). But both Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond would go much higher than seventh and ninth in any redraft and the Pistons remain high on Brandon Knight, still only 21. The Pistons have had only two top-three picks in lottery history and one of them, Darko Milicic in 2003, came via a pick acquired in trade. The Pistons took Grant Hill at No. 3 in 1994.

WASHINGTON | Jeremy Hyman, WashingtonWizards.com
Pre-lottery slot: 8

Washington Wizards

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Wizards
Adding a top 3 pick would be beneficial for the Wizards as it would for any team and would be their third top 3 pick in the last four years. In 2010, they added John Wall at No. 1 and last year they added Bradley Beal at No. 3. If they could manage to land in the top 3 again, they could add another key piece to help resurrect the franchise and bring them back to the postseason.

Lottery Luck
The Wizards have found themselves in the lottery in each of the past five years and were lucky enough to win the sweepstakes in 2010 which landed them John Wall. Last season, they had the second-best chance to win the lottery again but ended up falling one spot to No. 3. This year, the team has a 3.5 percent chance to win the lottery and a 12.3 percent chance to end up in the top three. If luck is on their side, the Wizards could add another franchise player to the roster in 2013.

TORONTO | Jay Satur, Raptors.com
Pre-lottery slot: 12

Toronto Raptors

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Raptors
It’s feast or famine for the Raptors at the lottery this year. If they jump into the top 3, it means a significant asset for a team with an expectation to make the playoffs in 2013-14. But if the Raptors stay 12th or wind up lower, the pick goes to Oklahoma City via Houston as part of the Lowry trade last summer.

Lottery Luck
The Raptors need a lot of luck to retain their first-round pick this season. Historically, they have moved up only moved up twice. The Raptors have also dropped in the lottery five times, but the results haven’t been all bad. In 1998, a drop from a projected second pick to fourth allowed them to grab Vince Carter in a draft day swap with the Warriors. A drop from third to fifth in 2011 allowed them to grab Valanciunas, named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team earlier this week. Last season, the team remained in their projected eighth spot after the lottery and selected guard Terrence Ross.

DALLAS | Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Pre-lottery slot: 14

Dallas Mavericks

What Getting a Top 3 Pick Would Mean for the Mavericks
If the Mavs are to strike it rich in the lottery and move up from the bottom portion into the top 3, they will have an opportunity to immediately add a Day 1 contributor capable of stepping into coach Rick Carlisle’s rotation. Last season, Carlisle used second-round acquisitions Bernard James and Jae Crowder perhaps more than he expected while first-rounder Jared Cunningham struggled to make a dent in the backcourt rotation. And with those three rookies the lone players under contract besides Nowitzki, Vince Carter and Shawn Marion, the Mavs will certainly count it a blessing if the ping-pong balls bounce in their favor.

Lottery Luck
Again, the Mavericks haven’t been in this position since the 1999-2000 season, when they eventually selected Etan Thomas with the 12th overall pick. The team hasn’t picked highly in the top 10 since the ’98 draft, when Robert “Tractor” Traylor was taken with the sixth overall selection before being dealt to Milwaukee in exchange for Nowitzki. We all know how that worked out. So, if by chance the basketball gods are once again on the Mavs’ side come draft day, it all comes down to a bit of fortune in the lottery. However, with a miniscule percentage of moving ahead of most teams in the lottery, MFFLs (Mavs fans for life) are not holding their breaths.