Pedro Oliveira
As we are at a crucial stage for the future of the league with the conference finals contested on one side of the sport, non-participants in the postseason are the protagonists, as they carried the NBA Draft Lottery out last night and decided at odds who would be the ones who would stay with the first positions in one of the contests most interesting in recent years.
There weren’t many big surprises, but there were enough to make the next NBA Draft a must-watch event for all its fans. The four teams most likely to win the No. 1 overall pick in the tournament were the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, with one coming out as the biggest winner while another had the worst of luck.
The Winner of the NBA Draft Lottery: the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic won the 2022 draft lottery, thus securing the first overall pick that will give them access to what they believe is the best prospect among all possible candidates. The top three names are clear: Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga University, Jabari Smith Jr. of Auburn University, and Paolo Banchero of Duke University.
Orlando has one of the most valuable young cores in the entire league, with names like Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz, Mo Bamba, and many more. With this opportunity, the Magic team could consolidate its franchise player for the next few years, either by occupying a well-covered position such as center/pivot, or by choosing to increase the competition in the power forward sector.
The Surprise of the 2022 NBA Draft: the Sacramento Kings
The team that altered the rest of the order for the draft of the NBA was nothing more and nothing less than the Sacramento Kings, who were projected to have the seventh overall pick and ended up rising to fourth place, displacing teams with a worse overall record such as the Pistons, the Indiana Pacers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
This ended up being the definitive order of the lottery for the 2022 NBA Draft, which will be held on June 23:
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (via Los Angeles Clippers)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
Curiosities Left by the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery
Obviously, the teams from the city of Los Angeles also suffered due to changes they made in past years, usurping them the opportunity to use their selections in this contest.
For the Magic, it’s the fourth time in history they’ll have the No. 1 overall pick in their hands, and historically they haven’t faltered with their picks (Shaquille O’Neal in 1992, Chris Webber in 1993, and Dwight Howard in 2004). The Thunder also got their first Top 4 draft pick since 2009, when they took James Harden.
Among other fun facts, the Pacers have a Top 9 pick for the first time since 1989. The Pistons went from having the first overall selection of the last prospect contest (2021) to being at the bottom of the Top 5.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on the 2022 NBA Draft, along with our mock draft and picks from the experts, only here at JefeBet.
