The New Orleans Pelicans beat some serious odds when they lucked out and won the NBA Draft Lottery the year that Zion Williamson was entering the NBA.
It takes a tremendous amount of luck to get a superstar in the NBA Draft, as you not only have to land the top pick, but do it in a year when there is a consensus star to select.
Not every number one pick is a generational superstar and the Pelicans have somehow gotten two of them in Zion and Anthony Davis after winning the lottery.
This year’s draft does not have a Zion or Davis, but likely first pick Cade Cunningham still has superstar potential.
He is a 6-foot-8 point guard who can shoot and defend and is already drawing comparisons to Luka Doncic, so even though he is not as much of a “sure thing” as Zion Williamson was, he’d be an impact addition to any team.
So could the Pelicans get lucky again?
What are the Pelicans lottery odds?
The New Orleans Pelicans have a 20.3 percent chance of jumping into the top four of the NBA Draft and a 4.5 percent chance of landing the number one pick overall.
If you are wondering, the Pelicans had just a six percent chance of getting the number one pick the year they got Zion Williamson, so even though the odds are long, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they will do it again.
Even moving into the top four would be a dream scenario, as there are at least four guys in this draft including Cunningham that most people think are going to be stars in the NBA. Any of Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green would be a difference maker for the Pelicans.
The only upside to missing the playoffs is that the Pelicans now have a chance to add another potential superstar around Zion Williamson in the NBA Draft.
They just need some luck.