ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Breaks Down the Fascinating NBA Draft Lottery Intrigue | The Rich Eisen Show

0:00 So this is the last lottery as we know it.

0:03 Yes.

0:03 Very likely format.

0:04 Okay.

0:04 So there's all of these trades and things that have happened.

0:07 So obviously people know the lottery because

0:08 these are good players in this draft,

0:10 potential franchise players.

0:13 But

0:13 there is like if you're a fan of the LA Clippers

0:17 Mhm.

0:17 you are either going to walk out of the lottery on Sunday with the fifth pick

0:22 or nothing.

0:24 No, nothing else.

0:25 That's right.

0:28 All right.

0:29 and I'll bite.

0:29 I'm sure it involves Oklahoma City somehow.

0:32 It does not.

0:32 Oh, that's that's weird.

0:34 They made a trade.

0:36 Okay.

0:35 They made a trade with at the trade deadline with Indiana.

0:40 Mhm.

0:39 And Indiana gets to keep the pick if it's in the top four.

0:43 And if it goes five through nine, which

0:47 you know, it goes to Clippers.

0:49 And if it's 10th, well, it's not going to be 10th, but

0:52 Okay.

0:51 The the Clippers only get it if it falls five through nine.

0:54 That's it.

0:54 It's like a rangefinder.

0:57 The

0:56 Yeah.

0:56 The the Pacers, yes,

1:00 have top four odds.

1:01 They have the same odds as the other teams.

1:04 Yes.

1:04 They have a 52% chance of falling in the top four.

1:07 So that means if they get passed by four teams,

1:10 which by the way happened last year to the Jazz and Wizards,

1:13 we're not talking about something that we never seen.

1:15 It's it's 50/50,

1:18 right?

1:17 So it's 52% chance that they remain in the top four.

1:21 Yes.

1:21 48% chance the Clippers get the fifth pick.

1:23 Now you think about this.

1:24 Mhm.

1:25 You get the fifth pick in this draft.

1:26 You could draft a new franchise cornerstone

1:29 or you have nothing.

1:30 And by the way, I'd like to point out their pick is in the lottery,

1:34 but it's owned by the Thunder.

1:36 Yeah, the Thunder.

1:37 There.

1:38 There we go.

1:38 Now I knew I just And I just looked

1:41 Yes.

1:41 at who's going to be in the room.

1:42 I'm going to go I'm going to be in the room this year.

1:44 Where they actually draw the balls.

1:46 Not the television show where they actually draw the balls.

1:48 Yeah.

1:48 Yeah.

1:48 Yeah.

1:49 And Sam Prey, it's it's important enough that Sam Prey,

1:52 the president of the Thunder, while his series is going on with the Lakers,

1:56 is scheduled, don't know for sure, but is scheduled to be in the room

2:00 because what happens if the Thunder pull a top four pick?

2:04 Can you imagine that?

2:06 Okay.

2:06 And also,

2:08 I mean,

2:08 the Hawks, the the Atlanta Hawks have the New Orleans Hornets pick.

2:14 Yes.

2:13 Or the Bucks pick, whichever.

2:16 Yeah,

2:15 they can have optionality.

2:17 The Hawks were just in the playoffs.

2:18 Like I I realize that, you know, they're not on the verge of a title,

2:21 but what happens if the Hawks end up with the third pick?

2:24 They could have this team plus the third pick.

2:27 This makes this is But is it It's so difficult.

2:30 But we know what's going to happen, Brian.

2:32 The Warriors are going to get the first pick.

2:34 The Warriors are in the game.

2:36 The Mavericks are in the game.

2:38 But it's like it's milk.

2:39 I agree.

2:40 But last year,

2:42 I like that.

2:43 Good job.

2:43 Yeah.

2:43 Thanks, man.

2:44 I reserve the right to steal.

2:45 Please.

2:45 Um Dan Patrick calls it sampling.

2:48 So you may sample I reject that.

2:49 I like I like the milk.

2:51 Um

2:53 the milk I think 2% um was Dallas last year.

2:58 Make a hooper flag.

2:59 It also benefits the league to have the Warriors with the top pick.

3:02 Oh, you're so extended the Curry run a little bit back.

3:08 Let me tell you the day.

3:09 Let me tell you the day that all lottery conspiracies died.

3:12 Okay, I'm going to tell you the day.

3:14 Please.

3:14 John Morant and Zia Williams are in the are in the line,

3:16 right?

3:17 And the Knicks don't get the first pick for Zia.

3:19 Knicks and Lakers

3:20 are in the top four and the other teams are Memphis and New Orleans.

3:26 Well, you got to throw everyone off the scent every now and then, Brian.

3:29 Okay.

3:29 Um, but here's the thing about the lottery that's so fascinating.

3:33 So, last year Okay.

3:37 Okay.

3:36 Last year, I realized I can't I was like,

3:38 can we have a real conversation about it?

3:40 No, we can't.

3:40 Okay.

3:40 No, we can't.

3:41 No, it's okay.

3:42 All right.

3:42 So last year, okay, the first three picks because this is the thing.

3:46 Like entire billion-dollar businesses come down to this, and I'm

3:50 going to just tell you about last year.

3:51 Last year, the Jazz, the Wizards,

3:55 and the Hornets all had the same they all the worst record.

3:57 They had the same chance at the top four.

3:59 Okay?

4:00 They had all gone through horrible rebuilding years,

4:03 embarrassing themselves, doing things that they got fined for, etc.

4:08 Right?

4:08 The first three picks come out of the draft and it's none of them.

4:11 Okay.

4:12 And now we are down to the last lottery spot.

4:14 It's a generally believed to be a four-player draft.

4:17 Four exciting players.

4:18 Maybe in the future it will prove that the eighth pick was a great player,

4:22 but it was generally seen as a four-player draft.

4:24 So now we are sitting there and the three of them

4:26 are sitting all this is in the actual lottery room.

4:29 I'm not talking about on the stage right in the lottery room.

4:31 It's the general manager of the Jazz,

4:33 the general manager of the Wizards and the owner of the Hornets.

4:36 And they're all sitting there next to each other.

4:38 I know you can find this on YouTube because they don't put it on TV,

4:40 but this is one of the reasons I get excited about this.

4:43 They pull up the first three balls and all three of them are still in the game.

4:47 They're waiting for the fourth ball.

4:49 One of them is getting the fourth pick, which is Khan Canipple.

4:53 Okay.

4:54 Right.

4:54 And one of them and the other two are getting nothing.

4:57 They're getting five and six.

4:58 They're getting hopefully this guy develops.

5:00 Go.

5:01 Can you put up those again, please?

5:03 Yep.

5:03 The the the There it is.

5:05 Do you see the Wizards and Jazz still on here?

5:09 The difference between the Wizards and Jazz being back in this lottery

5:12 and I granted the Hornets are there at the end,

5:14 but the Hornets got into play in this year

5:15 and had this moment where they won and Coniple

5:18 they totally changed the whole direction of the franchise.

5:20 Yes sir.

5:21 Obviously there are other factors that come into play.

5:23 I mean they have Brandon Miller, they have LaMelo Ball,

5:26 but that the difference between the misery

5:28 that was the Wizards and Jazz this year,

5:31 which was miserable and the Hornets who are regarded as one

5:34 of the up andcoming franchises in the league was the fourth ball.

5:38 And this is the thing like this is

5:40 why it's maddening and why people tank and why it's frustrating and it spurs all

5:45 of this this agida because it comes down to that.

5:49 Because in basketball,

5:50 the difference between one player and not is the difference

5:52 between having a competitive team that you have people

5:55 flying into your building until you have to embarrassingly lay

6:00 on the ground and take your beating for another year.

6:02 And so on Sunday, we have the lottery.

6:04 That's coming.

6:05 Hey, you made it all the way to the end.

6:06 Thanks for that.

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