If we get #OneSixEleven, everybody's gotta get his haircut. @NerlensNoel3 will rep. us at the @NBADraft Lottery. pic.twitter.com/oI3nOPozEs
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) May 14, 2015
While the rest of the league is focused on the NBA Playoffs, the Sixers are getting ready to test their luck with the ping pong balls. On Tuesday, May 19, the NBA will hold its annual NBA Lottery event.
Here is what you need to know to get read for Tuesday night:
1. The Sixers are sending rookie big man Nerlens Noel to the event. Hopefully the flat top can bring the Sixers good luck. But since we all know the draft lottery is rigged, expect the Sixers to get a raw end of the deal. NN, start practicing your game face:
2. The Sixers finished with the third worst record in the NBA. That means they have a 15.6% chance of landing the first pick; a 15.74 percent chance at the second pick; a 15.59 percent chance at the third pick; a 22.57 percent chance at the fourth pick; a 26.48 percent chance at the fifth pick; and a 4.03 percent chance at the sixth pick. I know: I don't understand why they have a greater chance at getting the 4th and 5th pick respectively over the third pick, but I am sure someone much smarter than me can explain it.
3. While it would be great for the Sixers to get number one overall, the two best players available are big men Jhalil Okafor and Karl Anthony-Towns. The Sixers already expended significant capital to draft big men: Nerlens Noel (6th overall, 2013) is a tweener center/power forward, Joel Embiid (3rd overall 2014) is a true center, and Dario Saric (11th overall, 2014) will likely have to play power forward given his athletic limitations. While drafting a big might safeguard against Embiid suffering another injury, it would certainly force the Sixers hand to make a trade at some point.
So while I am not against getting the top pick — who would be? — it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if the Sixers ended up picking 3rd. It will likely give them first crack at two point guards that represent significant upgrades over Michael Carter-Williams: Emmanuel Mudiay and D'Angelo Russell. The Sixers are reportedly interested in Russell. Count me among those who would gladly add Russell to the young, dynamic group of players the Sixers have accumulated thanks to Tankedelphia.
4. By trading MCW, the Sixers obtained the Lakers first round pick. However, it is top 5 protected this year. Meaning the Sixers will not receive the pick unless the Lakers fall down to the 6th pick during the lottery. The Lakers have a 16.03 percent chance of this happening. But given what we know about the NBA and preferential treatment for marque teams (New York Knicks, meet Patrick Ewing), we know this will never happen. Not to be discouraged, however, the pick is only top 3 protected next year. Given how bad the Lakers are projected to be, the Sixers should have a great opportunity to get another high pick next year.
5. The Sixers also have an outside chance at getting the Miami Heat's first round pick thanks to trading away Thaddeus Young. The Heat's pick is top 10 protected. Currently, the Heat sit 10th. In order for the Sixers to get the pick (which would require the Heat to drop to 11), one team outside of the top 10 would need to jump to the top 3. While that seems highly unlikely, there is actually an 8.88% that this happens. By no means a guarantee, but still a remote possibility.
Patrick Causey is a writer at Sixerdelphia and can be followed on Twitter @PhillySportsJD
