2017 NBA Lottery Thread and Knicks Fan Prayer Circle

Less than 1 hour away from ESPN televising the lottery to determine the picks for the 2017 NBA draft.

C'mon Knicks fans, let's all hold hands in a circle and pray for rare lottery good fortune.

In roughly 1 hour we will know if we are picking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, or 9th in the upcoming NBA draft.

Best case scenario - we get our team picked and Walt gets to beam over a top 3 pick.
Most likely case scenario - we don't get our team picked and we end up picking 7th or 8th.
Worst case scenario - all 3 teams pulled are teams that jump us and we end up picking 9th, which will actually confirm that a higher power hates our franchise.
 
The team with the most to lose tonight for the immediate future?

Probably the Lakers. Remember in 2012 when they traded for Steve Nash. Well, that didn't work out great and that gave a protected 2017 1st round pick to the Sixers in a three-way deal with the Suns.

If the Lakers don't get a top 3 pick, then their pick goes to the Sixers, who also have their own lottery pick.

If the Lakers do get a top 3 pick, they keep it this year and the Sixers get an unprotected 1st round pick for 2018 instead. If you're the Lakers, you're desperately hoping to get top 3 this season and then not be a lottery team next year.
 
Other fun trade facts that could be affected by tonight's lottery:

Kings can't pick 1st overall because if they get a pick better than the Sixers pick, then the Sixers can swap picks. So, the best the Kings can do tonight is 2nd overall pick and that's only if they and the Sixers get picked as the #1 and #2 teams.

On the positive side for the Kings, they get the Pelicans 1st round pick so long as it is not a top 3 pick. If it is a top 3 pick, then the Kings get the Pelicans pick next year in 2018 unless Pelicans end up with the #1 overall pick in 2018.

If you're a glass half empty guy and a Kings fan, this could be a fiasco for the Kings if only one out of them and the Sixers get their name picked and the Pelicans name gets picked top 3.
 
Person's smiling face that's going to make the most Knicks' fans lose their minds tonight?

That would probably be Andrew Wiggins. He's representing the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he is happy, then that means the Twolves got a top 3 pick and much like in 2015, the Twolves are in a slot (the 6th worst record), that the Knicks easily could have had if not for a stupid win in the 82nd game of the season and a lost coin toss.
 
Fun KOL forums fact.

Last time I made an NBA draft lottery thread was in 2015. How did that night end?

Everyone disappointed with the #4 pick (the worst we could have gotten other than #5). Me convinced that we were going to draft either Russell or Mudiay with the #4 pick, whoever was left on the board assuming that Towns and Okafor were going to go #1 and #2, and with Broadway lecturing me and Tig that this was why you don't win games, even with almost 20 games left to play, when you know you are destined for the lottery.
 
Good thread Htr10. You did some homework I see.

Thanks. Yeah, looking up stuff gave me something to do. Even though I keep telling myself that we're okay in this draft picking 7th or 8th, I'd still love to see our fanbase get something to be excited about for once and some good news tonight, even if it does defy the odds.
 
Lonzo Ball not attending the lottery tonight. Not sure if that is an unusual thing or not for a top pick to do. Shouldn't really matter much. Fultz and it looks like a bunch of the other projected top picks are there.
 

tiger0330

Legend
This might be the first time since 1982 that a conference champion Boston gets the #1 pick in the draft. Lakers were the last to do it.
 
This might be the first time since 1982 that a conference champion Boston gets the #1 pick in the draft. Lakers were the last to do it.

Other than last year, it seems like the team with the worst record rarely gets the #1 overall pick, but of course watch Boston be the team to get it.
 
I didn't know this until they just said it on ESPN, but apparently if Lakers don't get a top 3 pick, then not only do they lose this year's 1st round pick to the Sixers, but they also lose their 2019 1st round pick to the Orlando Magic (for some reason).

A lot to lose for the Lakers tonight and they have something like a 55% chance of NOT getting a top 3 pick.
 
So, the Suns are the big losers so far, taking our role from 2015 by NOT getting a top 3 pick despite a bottom 3 record.
 
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