Apr 24, 2013; Independence, OH, USA; New Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown smiles during a press conference at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have received the #1 pick in this year’s NBA draft lottery, with a 15.6% chance of doing so. This move bumped the Orlando Magic to 2^nd, while the Charlotte Bobcats missed the top 3 entirely due to the surprise advancement of the Washington Wizards, who received the 3^rd pick.

The Cavaliers were represented by Nick Gilbert, son of owner Dan Gilbert. Nick also represented the team when they received the 2011 #1 pick and future Rookie of the Year, Kyrie Irving.

This could turn out nicely for the Blazers, who received the 10^th pick as expected, because Cleveland is likely to draft Kentucky center, Nerlens Noel. With a brand new, highly touted center, the Cavs may cling less tightly to current center, Anderson Varejao. Portland is looking to trade for an established big man and Cleveland is already interested in doing business with them in some capacity. The Blazers may be able to coax them into giving up Wild Thing.

Varejao was an All-Star caliber center this year, averaging 14.1 points and 14.4 rebounds per game, until a blood clot in his lung sidelined him for the latter half of the season. It was reported in late April that the Cavs were interested in Blazer forward, LaMarcus Aldridge, but were unlikely to give up Anderson Varejao in preliminary discussions. While I do not personally condone shopping LaMarcus at this juncture, it is possible that the Cavs would be willing to make a more reasonable offer, given their fortuitous situation. The Blazers are in great need of an established defensive center.

Although Cleveland received the top pick, the real winner of this year’s lottery is the Washington Wizards. Projected to receive the 8^th pick, the Wizards jumped 5 places into the top 3, and are now in position to draft Georgetown small forward, Otto Porter. The Wizards were only a lottery team at all because their 2010 #1 pick, John Wall, missed 33 games this year while recovering from knee surgery. They now have the means to address their biggest need in style, and will likely make an appearance in the 2014 playoffs.

All in all, this worked out fine for Portland. Although they did not move up, the lottery has changed their off-season playing field, if only just a little. I’m rather content, myself, as I count myself among the minority Wizard fans. Congratulations to Cleveland and Washington, condolences to Orlando and Charlotte (seriously, how hard is it to be a Bobcat right now?).

*Toronto’s pick goes to OKC as part of the Harden deal, because it was not in the top 3.

@davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com

Dec 5, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA Commissioner David Stern talks to the media before a game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

It’s lottery day! Be sure to watch on ESPN at 5:30pm PST if you can. If not, we’ll have the results for you shortly after, right here on Rip City Project. In the meantime, here is everything you need to know about this year’s lottery setup.

The flight of the ping pong balls will be facilitated in a backroom by Commissioner, David Stern. Before the annual conspiracy theorists rear their heads, I should mention that the event will be supervised by representatives from each NBA team, as well as independent auditors.

This process only determines the top 3 picks; the others are determined by the finalized regular season standings. So, in order for the Blazers to move up at all, they would have to receive a top 3 pick. Currently, Portland stands to receive the 10^th pick, but they have a 1.6% chance of pulling the 3^rd pick, a 1.3% chance of pulling the 2^nd pick, and a 1.1% chance of pulling the almighty 1^st pick.

The only way they could drop below 10^th is if one of the teams that finished with a better record than them lucked into a top 3 pick. However; there is only a shadow of chance for this to happen, as those teams (Philadelphia, Toronto, Dallas, Utah) have even worse odds of jumping the pack.

The lottery never follows the statistics to a T, so prepare for anything to happen. Nevertheless, the odds are as follows:

Orlando (20-62):               25% chance to receive the #1 pick
Charlotte (21-61):            19.9% chance to receive the #1 pick
Cleveland (24-58):           15.6% chance to receive the #1 pick
Phoenix (25-57):               11.9% chance to receive the #1 pick
New Orleans (27-55):     8.8% chance to receive the #1 pick
Sacramento (28-54):       6.3% chance to receive the #1 pick
Detroit (29-53):                 3.6% chance to receive the #1 pick
Washington (29-53):       3.5% chance to receive the #1 pick
Minnesota (31-51):         1.7% chance to receive the #1 pick
Portland (33-49):              1.1% chance to receive the #1 pick
Philadelphia (34-48):       0.8% chance to receive the #1 pick
Toronto (34-48):               0.7% chance to receive the #1 pick
Dallas (41-41):                    0.6% chance to receive the #1 pick
Utah (43-39):                     0.5% chance to receive the #1 pick

While the chance of Portland lucking out big time is staggeringly low, remember that it is not impossible. As detailed by my colleague, Kevin Yeung, Chicago drew the first selection in 2008 when they were projected to pick 9^th. They used that pick to draft all-star point guard, Derrick Rose. There is no telling who will land where.

The Blazers will be represented by NBA Rookie of the Year, Damian Lillard. Only 7.5 hours remain until lottery time. The whims of fate shall determine the future of the league’s most desperate franchises. Who will make tonight’s headlines and rock the basketball world?

@davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Nerlens Noel is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

I feel rather badly for the team that receives the #1 pick on Tuesday. Not because of some misguided notion that it is a bad position to be in, but because no player in the 2013 NBA draft is the standout first selection. That is not to say that there aren’t any talented prospects, just that there is little to no drop off.

Usually there is a player or two held in consensus above the rest. Last year it was Anthony Davis, and the year before it was Kyrie Irving. Even the Blazers had their choice between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant in 2007 (but we don’t speak of that anymore). However; this year the curve is not so steep.

Kentucky center, Nerlens Noel, and Kansas shooting guard, Ben Mclemore, are the favorites to be taken first, followed shortly by Georgetown small forward, Otto Porter. It almost seems wasteful to receive the 1^st pick when the 2^nd and 3^rd are arguably just as good. Can we really say that the difference between Ben Mclemore and Otto Porter is as pronounced as the difference between Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams?

The Orlando Magic have the best chance (25%) to receive the #1 pick in this year’s draft. They finished the season with a horrid 20-62 record, only 4 losses worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are likely to receive the 3^rd pick. So why does it seem so imbalanced that their picks could be nearly identical? Well, the Cavs feature NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving as well as would-be NBA All-Star Anderson Varejao, in comparison to Orlando’s… Nikola Vucevic?

That’s not a knock at the Magic, it’s just that the difference in draft compensation for either team does not match the obvious separation between the talent of their respective rosters. The #1 pick is a rarity to be celebrated by a starving fan-base, but in a decidedly weak draft class, the allotment is bitter-sweet. It’s like rummaging through a pile of money and settling on the shiniest quarter, despite the hope for a dollar. The next kid to purge the pile may have to clean his coin to make it sparkle, but in the end, each quarter is worth the same.

Perhaps it is not so bad that Portland is staring down the barrel of the 10^th pick. There is no player in the 2013 NBA draft I strongly lament being unable to select. Sure, it would be great to luck into a better draw, but the middle of the pack is not without its dimes.

@davidmackaypdx | @ripcityproject | davidmackaypdx@gmail.com