The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery takes place at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday night (ESPN), with the Minnesota Timberwolves owning the most lottery chances (250; 25 percent chance of receiving first overall pick) after finishing the 2010 regular season with the league's worst record at 17-65.
The lottery doesn't directly affect the Boston Celtics, who finished with a 56-26 record and advanced to the second round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs before being eliminated by the Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Nonetheless, the lottery will affect the Celtics' competition in the coming seasons, with two of the top six teams with the highest odds of receiving the first overall pick being Atlantic Division rivals Toronto and New Jersey.
Cleveland have the second-best odds at receiving the first pick (199 lottery chances; 19.9 percent chance of receiving first pick) after finishing the season at 19-63 (that's what happens when a certain superstar named LeBron James takes his talents to South Beach). The Raptors (22-60 in 2010) has the third-best odds (156 chances) and the Nets have the sixth-best chances at the top pick (75).
Here's a look at the lottery chances for all 14 teams in the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery.
- Minnesota Timberwolves (17-65; 250 lottery chances)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (19-63; 199 lottery chances)
- Toronto Raptors (22-60; 156 lottery chances)
- Washington Wizards (23-59; 119 lottery chances)
- Sacramento Kings (24-58; 76 lottery chances)
- New Jersey Nets (24-58; 75 lottery chances)
- Detroit Pistons (30-52; 43 lottery chances)
- Los Angeles Clippers (32-50; 28 lottery chances)
- Charlotte Bobcats (34-48; 17 lottery chances)
- Milwaukee Bucks (35-47; 11 lottery chances)
- Golden State Warriors (36-46; 8 lottery chances)
- Utah Jazz (39-43; 7 lottery chances)
- Phoenix Suns (40-42; 6 lottery chances)
- Houston Rockets (43-49; 5 lottery chances)