NBA Draft Lottery day is upon us and the New Orleans Pelicans have a 99.6 percent chance of landing a top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
It’s a rare thing for a playoff team to also have a lottery pick, but this could be the case for several seasons as the Pelicans continue to reap the rewards of the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades, adding 1st-round picks to a team that is already expected to be a contender next season when Zion Williamson returns.
The pick comes courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers, who did not even make the play-in and now have to hand their pick over to New Orleans.
It’s a luxury to be able to add a lottery pick to a team that is already good and the Pelicans could go in any number of directions in the 2022 NBA Draft depending on where they end up landing.
Pelicans’ lottery odds: Can New Orleans do it again?
Here are the Pelicans’ lottery odds for each pick:
- #1: 6%
- #2: 6.3%
- #3: 6.7%
- #4: 7.2%
- #8: 34.5%
- #9: 32.1%
- #10: 6.7%
There is also a 0.4 percent chance that the pick is #11, in which case the Pelicans wouldn’t get it, so let’s hope the Lakers don’t get a miracle tonight.
When is the NBA Draft Lottery?
The NBA Draft Lottery is tonight, May 17th in Chicago. It starts at 7:00 PM CT.
How to watch the NBA Draft Lottery
You can watch the festivities on ESPN or you can stream it on ESPN.com or by using their app. Bring all manner of good luck charms.
David Griffin and Swin Cash will be representing the New Orleans Pelicans, who are hoping history repeats itself, as they had the exact same odds for the #1 pick as they did when they landed Zion Williamson.
Now that we have the logistics out of the way, here are some things to look for in tonight’s lottery.