The Mavericks Just Won the Lottery! 🎰
Sometimes, basketball isn’t about slam dunks, buzzer beaters, or even who had the most points… sometimes it’s 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.
Let’s break it down…
📦 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 you’re the worst team in the league, you might get the first pick… 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.
That’s what happened this year.
🔄 The Trade That Shook Dallas
Just a few months ago, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the league.
They traded Luka Dončić… yes, that Luka… 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 then…
🎱 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. That’s less than 2% of the bowl… and they still won.
It’s 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.
🌟 Who Will They Pick?
All eyes are on Cooper Flagg, a 6’9” freshman from Duke who can block shots, run the floor, and knock down 3s.
Some say he’s 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 “the most complete two-way teenage forward prospect in decades,” and said that Flagg is good enough to be the #1 pick “in 29 out of the last 30 drafts.”
Our favorite part? Some fans thought Cooper was so good, they actually wanted their team to lose… just to improve their chances.
What’d they call it? “Be Poop for Coop.” Seriously. We didn’t make it up.
🎥 Want to see what the hype is about? Here’s his Duke highlights:
If you're the Mavericks? This isn’t just a pick. It’s a restart button with superstar potential.
📅 Scoreboard Snapshot
But while Dallas dreams of their future star, 8 playoff teams are still battling it out in the present.
Let’s check the scoreboard and see who’s shining right now. ⏬📊
🗽 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.
🐺 Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110
The Timberwolves took a commanding 3–1 series lead, led by Julius Randle’s 31 points and Anthony Edwards’ 30 points. The Warriors now face elimination as the series shifts back to Minnesota for Game 5. Will Steph be able to return?
What’s on today?
🏎️ Pacers at ⚔️ Cavaliers
Can the Pacers close out the Cavs in Cleveland?
Experts say 52% chance Cavs win
🏔️ Nuggets at ⚡ Thunder
Will the Thunder or Nuggets seize the edge in their tied series?
Experts say 63% chance Thunder win
🧠 What We Learned Today
The Mavericks didn’t plan to be in the lottery. They didn’t expect to win it.
Sometimes, Smallball-ers, all it takes is one bounce to go your way.
Let’s Go Cooper Flagg justin (Rowan)