NBA

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.

CHOOSE TO LOSE

ESPN The Magazine May 16, 2011 40

2121

1515

1414

1312

1212

1111

1111

1111

1010

109

77

76

66

44

33 10.7

8.33.8

2.8

4.0

4.3

3.2

2.9

3.9

3.1

3.4

4.6

3.7

3.0

3.4

2.9

4.5

3.7

4.0

3.5

3.9

3.9

3.3

4.2

3.0

3.6

3.1

4.3

3.6 8.4

7.3

7.8

7.6

7.9

9.1

7.5

7.6

9.7

9.9

7.6

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

7.511.7

3.213.6

14.9

15.4

13.9

15.1

13.7

15.4

14.4

15.0

14.5

15.6

13.5

14.8

13.7

14.8

13.9

12.9

15.3

15.5

15.2

15.5

16.7

15.1

13.5

15.0

15.0

15.0

16.919.721.6

8.2

13.3

By LaRue Cook

No. of lottery picks*

*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.

CLIPPERS

WARRIORS

BULLS

TIMBERWOLVES

GRIZZLIES

KINGS

CAVALIERS

BUCKS

NETS

NUGGETS

76ERS

HAWKS

MAVERICKS

PACERS

RAPTORS

BULLETS/WIZARDS

CELTICS

MAGIC

SONICS/THUNDER

HORNETS

TRAIL BLAZERS

HEAT

PISTONS

BOBCATS

KNICKS

SUNS

JAZZROCKETS

LAKERSSPURS

Average career PER** of team’s lottery picks Average years on team

Average length of NBA career

Graphs by Andrew Garcia Phillips, Chartball

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