In one of the more unusual NBA Draft Lottery shows, the Minnesota Timberwolves landed the No. 1 overall pick. The rest of the top four was rounded out by the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls.
Charlotte and Chicago both jumped into the top four, despite holding unfavorable odds of landing the top pick. Charlotte held just a six percent chance while Chicago held just a 7.5 percent chance.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had, perhaps, the most disappointing draft lottery. Cleveland owned a share of the best odds for the No. 1 overall pick, however, fell to the fifth selection.
This was the second lottery since the league flattened the odds. Under this new format, the three worst teams (Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Minnesota Timberwolves) each held an equal 14 percent chance to receive the No. 1 pick.
This year’s NBA Draft Lottery looked a bit different than years prior. The draft lottery show usually takes place in mid-May, smack in the middle of the conference finals. This year, with the league taking a four-month hiatus amongst COVID-19 concerns, viewers tuned into this show in late-August. And, the 2020 NBA Playoffs have just begun this week.
Additionally, the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery took place almost entirely virtually. Usually, league officials and representatives from each lottery team gather together on an NBA-decorated set. Instead, the lottery was drawn just minutes prior to the live broadcast. And team representatives joined the broadcast virtually from home.
2020 NBA DRAFT LOTTERY RESULTS
1) Minnesota Timberwolves – #1 Pick Odds: 14%
2) Golden State Warriors – #1 Pick Odds: 14%
3) Charlotte Hornets – #1 Pick Odds: 6%
4) Chicago Bulls – #1 Pick Odds: 7.5%
5) Cleveland Cavaliers – #1 Pick Odds: 14%
6) Atlanta Hawks – #1 Pick Odds: 12.5%
7) Detroit Pistons – #1 Pick Odds: 10.5%
8) New York Knicks – #1 Pick Odds: 9%
9) Washington Wizards – #1 Pick Odds: 4.5%
10) Phoenix Suns – #1 Pick Odds: 3%
11) San Antonio Spurs – #1 Pick Odds: 2%
12) Sacramento Kings – #1 Pick Odds: 1.3%
13) New Orleans Pelicans – #1 Pick Odds: 1.2%
14) Boston Celtics – from Memphis Grizzlies – #1 Pick Odds: 0.5%
TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS
Unlike like year, the 2020 NBA Draft does not possess a consensus No. 1 overall pick. Quite simply, there is no Zion Williamson or Ja Morant in this year’s class. Instead, the class is highlighted by three names of more raw, untapped and unseen potential.
The majority of NBA scouts consider the following three players the top picks in this year’s draft:
1) ANTHONY EDWARDS, 6-5 G, GEORGIA
2) JAMES WISEMAN, 7-1 C, MEMPHIS
3) LAMELO BALL, 6-7 G, ILLAWARRA (NBL)
Fans will have to wait until October to see where these names fall. Currently, the 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled for October 16. There is, however, no official decision on the location or format.
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