NBA 21 21 15 15 14 14 13 12 12 12
13.5
11
HAWKS
3.5
11
15.6
4.0
11
76ERS
3.9
3.7
11
14.5
3.9
4.5
11
NUGGETS
15.0
3.3
2.9
11
NETS
14.4
4.2
3.4
10
BUCKS
15.4
3.0
3.0
10
CAVALIERS
13.7
3.7
10
KINGS
3.6
4.6
9
15.1
3.1
3.4
7
GRIZZLIES
13.9
3.1
7
TIMBERWOLVES
4.3
3.9
7
15.4
2.9
6
BULLS
3.6
3.2
6
14.9
3.2
4.3
6
Where a team falls in the NBA’s draft lottery depends on the bounce of the ball. What it does with its pick, though, doesn’t. You can know a franchise by its lottery history, so we’ve charted the length of service and PER value of each team’s picks since it began in ’85. Why do the Clippers have the most lottery choices of anyone? Because the guys they pluck are underperforming short-timers. On May 17, the Timberwolves hold the best odds of snaring their first-ever lottery No. 1. By the looks of things, it could be in much better hands.
WARRIORS
13.6
4.0
4
CHOOSE TO LOSE
CLIPPERS
Average length of NBA career
Average years on team
2.8
3 3 4
No. of lottery picks*
Average career PER** of team’s lottery picks
3.8
8.2
8.4
7.3
7.8
7.6
7.9
9.1
7.5
7.6
9.7
9.9 7.6
By LaRue Cook MAVERICKS
14.8
PACERS RAPTORS
14.8
BULLETS/WIZARDS
13.9
CELTICS MAGIC SONICS/THUNDER HORNETS
12.9 15.3 15.5 15.2
TRAIL BLAZERS
15.5
HEAT
16.7
PISTONS BOBCATS
15.1 13.5
KNICKS
15.0
SUNS
15.0
JAZZ ROCKETS SPURS
13.7
LAKERS
15.0 16.9 19.7 21.6
9.3
8.5 7.5 10.5 8.2 9.6 6.6 8.8 5.4 10.4 9.7 4.0 6.5 8.3 4.8 7.5
8.3 10.7
11.7 13.3
*Draft picks traded before rookie season belong to acquiring team. Includes Len Bias (Celtics); Ricky Rubio (Wolves); and Fran Vazquez (Magic), who were drafted but never played a game. **Player Efficiency Rating measures a player’s per-minute productivity: data through 2010-11.
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0516PNBA.lo.indd 40
ESPN The Magazine
May 16, 2011
Graphs by Andrew Garcia Phillips, Chartball
5/2/11 1:41 PM