PUB-lic Education: NBA Playoffs
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
“Superfluous Sports Information For Your Next Trip to the Bar Stool”
WHICHEVER WAY THE BALL BOUNCES
Tonight the ping pong balls will drop into place and a guy who’s already a multi-millionaire (possibly even a billionaire) will stand up and exalt over winning the lottery.
The NBA hosts its annual draft lottery tonight between halftime of the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic Eastern Conference Finals Game Two.
Winning a mere dozen times in 82 tries in the regular season means the New Jersey Nets will have the most balls pinging and ponging in the tumbler tonight.
But what are the Nets’ true odds of claiming the coveted No. 1 pick in July’s draft?
The NBA’s worst regular-season team has won the No. 1 draft pick only four times since the current lottery system was put into place in 1985.
The most improbable franchise to win the lottery was the Orlando Magic in 1993. The 11th-worst team that year, the Magic had a 1.52-percent chance of their ping pong ball spitting out the No. 1 pick.
They used it to take Chris Webber, who they immediately turned around and traded to the Golden State Warriors for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.
UPDATE: THE NETS FALL TO NO. 3 IN THE DRAFT, BEHIND WASHINGTON AND PHILADELPHIA
PERCENTAGE-ODDS OF WINNING NO. 1 PICK (Actual Pick)
Former Wildcat Luke Walton blocks a Grant Hill shot. Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE
New Jersey Nets 25 % (No. 3)
Minnesota Timberwolves 19.9 (No. 4)
Sacramento Kings 15.6 (No. 5)
Golden State Warriors 10.4 (No. 6)
Washington Wizards 10.3 (No. 1)
Philadelphia 76ers 5.3 (No. 2)
Detroit Pistons 5.3 (No. 7)
Los Angeles Clippers 2.3 (No. 8 )
Utah Jazz 2.2 (No. 9)
Indiana Pacers 1.1 (No. 10)
New Orleans Hornets .08 (No. 11)
Memphis Grizzlies .07 (No. 12)
Toronto Raptors .06 (No. 13)
Houston Rockets .05 (No. 14)
HOW IT WORKS
According to NBA.com:
Fourteen ping pong balls numbered 1-14 are placed in a rotating hopper. Each lottery team has one representative locked in a private room with the hopper, league officials and independent auditors. When the lottery begins, the hopper is turned and an official selects four balls from the hopper. Each four-number combination is assigned to a team based on the team’s lottery odds. The Nets, for example, have 250 combinations. If the first four-number combination pulled from the hopper matches on of those, the Nets would win the lottery.
After the first combination is awarded, all balls are returned to the hopper and another four balls are retrieved. Whichever team has this combination is awarded the No. 2 pick. In the event the team which has the No. 1 pick also wins the No. 2 pick, the second set of balls are replaced in the hopper and another four are selected. The same occurs for the No. 3 pick.
After the top three picks are awarded, the rest of the draft order follows reverse league standings, with tiebreakers having been broken by coin toss at the end of the regular season. Only then are the picks announced live on stage. The team representatives on the stage do not know if they have won before it is announced by NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.
Arizona alum Richard Jefferson takes it to former ex-Wildcat Channing Frye in the NBA Western Conference semifinals. Frye and the Suns swept the Spurs to advance to the conference finals. Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
AND THEN, THERE WERE TWO
Former University of Arizona stars Channing Frye and Luke Walton are butting heads in the Western Conference Final with the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
Of the two, Walton is the only former Wildcat to hoist the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy, winning last season with the Lakers.
SPEAKING OF THAT LARRY O’BRIEN TROPHY
Named after former NBA Commissioner, the Larry O’Brien trophy stands 2-feet tall and weighs more than 14 pounds.
Unlike the Stanley Cup, the winning team gets to keep the Tiffany and Co.-made trophy, valued at $13,500.
The hardware, remodeled and re-named in 1984, was first won by the Boston Celtics over the Los Angeles Lakers — two teams seemingly on a collision course to meet again in this year’s NBA Finals.
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ABOUT THAT CELTIC-LAKERS RIVALRY
Easily the most recognizable rivalry the NBA has to offer, the Celtics and Lakers have met in the finals 11 times dating back to 1959 when the Lakers played in Minneapolis. The Celtics have dominated the rivalry, winning all but two of those matchups.
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HOW WE GOT HERE
Channing Frye is one of two former Wildcats vying for an NBA title. Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
Which colleges have the most alumnal bragging rights as the final four NBA teams battle for a league title?
That would be Duke University. Of the 56 players competing in their respective conference finals, three of them are former Blue Devils.
Seven colleges — including Arizona — have two players still playing. Stanford is the only program with players on the same team (Phoenix Suns: Jarron Collins, Brook Lopez).
Nine players have ties to the PAC-10.
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THE MATCHUPS
ORLANDO MAGIC v. BOSTON CELTICS (2-0)
“Black Arts or Luck, Which Wins Out?”
Battle to see whom will head to the NBA Finals in two out of the last three seasons
Game Three, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (2-0) v. PHOENIX SUNS
“Kobe Beefs It Up”
Bryant steps up to score 61 points in first two games
Game Three, Sunday, 5 p.m.
