It’s not exactly where they’d like to be, but the Pacers are a lottery team after a 38-44 record for the 2014-15 campaign. And because the Pacers and Utah Jazz finished with the same record, a tiebreaker was needed to decide which team is 11th and which is 12th.
The Pacers won the random drawing of ping pong balls, which was held on Friday, and so they are slotted in 11th and their odds to jump into the top three have increased a tad (from 2.5 to 2.9 percent).
These two teams have history of making consecutive picks. It worked out well in 2010, the last time the Pacers were in the lottery. The Jazz selected Brownsburg native Gordon Hayward at No. 9, and then the Pacers happily grabbed two-time NBA All-Star Paul George, who was relatively unknown at the time, with the 10th selection.
In the likely scenario that the Pacers don’t move up and stay at No. 11, they do have some history there. Donnie Walsh drafted Hall of Famer Reggie Miller at 11 in 1987, and we all know how that worked out.
Other notable selections at No. 11: Michael Carter-Williams (2013, Philadelphia), Klay Thompson (2011, Golden State), J.J. Redick (2006, Orlando), Jared Jeffries (2002, Washington), Bonzi Wells (1998, Detroit), and Allan Houston (1993, Detroit).
The NBA Draft Lottery, where the order of the draft is finalized, will be held on May 19th in Manhattan.
Order for the draft lottery, with each team’s odds for the top pick:
- Minnesota, 25%
- New York, 19.9%
- Philadelphia, 15.6%
- Los Angeles (Lakers), 11.9%
- Orlando, 8.8%
- Sacramento, 6.3%
- Denver, 4.3%
- Detroit, 2.8%
- Charlotte, 1.7%
- Miami, 1.1%
- Indiana, 0.8%
- Utah, 0.7%
- Phoenix, 0.6%
- Oklahoma City, 0.5%