Top 20 Moments in New Orleans Pelicans History

Feb 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (left) and guard Jrue Holiday (right) celebrate during the fourth quarter of a game against the Toronto Raptors at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Raptors 100-97. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

12. The Pelicans win the Anthony Davis lottery

by Matt Cianfrone

Entering the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery the New Orleans Hornets had just a 13 percent chance at landing the number one pick and the right to draft Anthony Davis. While the rest of the 2012 draft class featured talented players like Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond and Damian Lillard, Davis was the only clear franchise changing player and any team lucky enough to win the lottery was obviously going to take him.

As Monty Williams stood in the final three with Rich Cho from the Charlotte Bobcats and Zach Leonsis of the Washington Wizards, the future of the franchise felt like it hung in the balance. After trading Chris Paul in December, New Orleans had a chance at the number one pick in a draft with a savior, something that just doesn’t happen often.

And when the Bobcats were announced as the number two pick and Williams flashed a smile, the fans in New Orleans were rewarded for the Paul saga with a lucky draw. Considering where the franchise has gone since Davis, and how Davis looks like the future of the NBA it is still hard to believe at times how lucky the Pelicans were that night. A 13.7 percent chance is not supposed to chance a franchise. And yet it did.

Next: The next step in that luck