Sometimes, basketball isnāt about slam dunks, buzzer beaters, or even who had the most pointsā¦ sometimes itās about ping pong balls!
Wait, what?
Yep, welcome to the NBA Draft Lottery.
Think of it like a giant raffle. Each team gets a different number of tickets based on how bad their season was. The prize? The chance to pick the next superstar.
Letās break it downā¦
š¦ NFL vs. NBA: Same Goal, Different Game
In the NFL Draft, the worst team picks first. Simple.
But the NBA? Not so fast.
Even if youāre the worst team in the league, you might get the first pickā¦ or you might not. Instead of a guaranteed order, the NBA uses a lottery. So even a team that almost made the playoffs still has a small chance to win.
Thatās what happened this year.
š The Trade That Shook Dallas
Just a few months ago, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the league.
They traded Luka DonÄiÄā¦ yes, that Lukaā¦ who is one of the 5 best players in the NBA! Step-back threes. No-look passes. Face of the franchise. They traded him to the Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Lakers fans were thrilled. Mavs fans were furious.
The Mavs missed the playoffs. It felt like they lost their star and their spark.
But thenā¦
š± 18 Tickets, 1 Jackpot
The NBA Draft Lottery works like this:
14 ping pong balls
1,001 possible combinations
Each non-playoff team gets a few of those combinations
The teams with the worst records? 140 chances to win.
The Mavericks? Just 18.
Imagine a birthday party with 1,001 raffle tickets in a big bowl. The Mavs had only 18. Thatās less than 2% of the bowlā¦ and they still won.
Itās like knocking on 18 doors on Halloween and somehow one of them gives you the golden ticket to go see Willy Wonka.
The result? For the second time ever, the Dallas Mavericks will pick #1 overall in the NBA Draft.
š Who Will They Pick?
All eyes are on Cooper Flagg, a 6ā9ā freshman from Duke who can block shots, run the floor, and knock down 3s.
Some say heās got shades of Kevin Durant (yes, the KD we saw win the MVP a few years ago and thank his mom on stage). Others say he reminds them of Tim Duncan (who led the Spurs with Coach Pop to 5 NBA championships.)
One expert called Flagg āthe most complete two-way teenage forward prospect in decades,ā and said that Flagg is good enough to be the #1 pick āin 29 out of the last 30 drafts.ā
Our favorite part? Some fans thought Cooper was so good, they actually wanted their team to loseā¦ just to improve their chances.
Whatād they call it? āBe Poop for Coop.ā Seriously. We didnāt make it up.
š„ Want to see what the hype is about? Hereās his Duke highlights:
If you're the Mavericks? This isnāt just a pick. Itās a restart button with superstar potential.
š
Scoreboard Snapshot
But while Dallas dreams of their future star, 8 playoff teams are still battling it out in the present.
Letās check the scoreboard and see whoās shining right now. ā¬š
š½ Knicks 121, Celtics 113
The Knicks overcame a 14-point 3rd-quarter deficit and are now just 1 win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. Jalen Brunson led the charge with 39 points and 12 assists. The Celtics' Jayson Tatum scored 42 points before leaving the game near the end with a right leg injury.
šŗ Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110
The Timberwolves took a commanding 3ā1 series lead, led by Julius Randleās 31 points and Anthony Edwardsā 30 points. The Warriors now face elimination as the series shifts back to Minnesota for Game 5. Will Steph be able to return?
Whatās on today?
šļø Pacers at āļø Cavaliers
Can the Pacers close out the Cavs in Cleveland?
Experts say 52% chance Cavs win
šļø Nuggets at ā” Thunder
Will the Thunder or Nuggets seize the edge in their tied series?
Experts say 63% chance Thunder win
š§ What We Learned Today
The Mavericks didnāt plan to be in the lottery. They didnāt expect to win it.
Sometimes, Smallball-ers, all it takes is one bounce to go your way.
Letās Go Cooper Flagg justin (Rowan)