[h=1]Top draft choices for tanking teams[/h][h=3]With regular season winding down, we look at whom teams would pick No. 1[/h]
By Chad Ford | ESPN Insider
With just a week and a half to go in the regular season, the Bucks are a virtual lock to secure the best odds of winning the lottery at 25 percent. They have a three-game lead over the Sixers, who are five games ahead of the Magic for the second-best odds of 19.9 percent. Meanwhile, the Magic, Celtics, Jazz and Lakers are in a pretty close race for that No. 3 spot and a 15.4 percent chance of winning the lottery.
With the college basketball season ending today, whom would each team take with the first, second or third pick? I asked NBA personnel to give us a peek at their Big Boards heading into next month's NBA Draft Combine. Here's a look:
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[h=3]1. Milwaukee Bucks | Status: Tanking | Record: 14-63 (past week: 0-4)[/h]
The Bucks have been big Joel Embiid fans, but the team with the most injuries in the NBA this season is wary until it gets more information about his back. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker are the other candidates if the Bucks land the No. 1 pick.
While Parker may be the safer pick, a combo of Wiggins and Giannis Antetokounmpo could be amazing down the road. I think their board looks like this: (1) Wiggins, (2) Parker, (3) Embiid.
(Last week: 1
)
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[h=3]2. Philadelphia 76ers | Status: Tanking | Record: 17-60 (1-3)[/h]
The Sixers won't get the most pingpong balls, but they will have a lot. They've had Wiggins atop their board all season, and I don't think that will change. But if Wiggins is gone, Parker is probably second on their board followed by Embiid. Dante Exum also has some traction in Philly.
(Last week: 2
)
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[h=3]3. Orlando Magic | Status: Tanking | Record: 22-55 (1-2)[/h]
The Magic want a point guard and will likely have three good options -- Exum, Marcus Smart and Tyler Ennis. However, none of them are in serious consideration for the No. 1 pick. But Exum is close, and I'm told he is No. 2 on Orlando's board; Wiggins is first and Parker is third. The Magic remain quite high on Smart as well and have him at No. 4.
(Last week: 3
)
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[h=3]4. Boston Celtics | Status: Rebuilding | Record: 23-54 (0-4)[/h]
The Celtics are going out in true tanking fashion, having lost their last eight games. They could catch the Magic for that No. 3 spot, and I think that's where GM Danny Ainge is hoping his team can land. We've had Jabari Parker at No. 1 for the Celtics for most of the season with Embiid No. 2, but it's time to revise it (unless Embiid's back injury turns out to be nothing). We now have the Celtics with Wiggins at No. 1, Parker No. 2 and Embiid No. 3.
(Last week: 4
)
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[h=3]5. Utah Jazz | Status: Rebuilding | Record: 24-53 (1-2)[/h]
If the Jazz win the No. 1 pick, there is no way they pass on Parker. Not only are they a team that wants to make the quick push to the playoffs next season -- meaning the Jazz want an impact player from day one -- but Parker's Mormon faith has already made him crazy popular in Utah. Wiggins is second on their board, followed by Exum.
(Last week: 5
)
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[h=3]6. Los Angeles Lakers | Status: Tanking | Record: 25-52 (0-4)[/h]
The Lakers are tough to figure out. They lose to the worst team in the league -- the Bucks -- and get blown out by 35 at the hands of the Wolves but still manage a 30-point win over the Knicks and a 16-point win over the Suns. Those two wins put them one game behind the Jazz for the worst record in the West. The Lakers have a pretty tough schedule the rest of the way, though.
The Lakers need a star and will have a hard time passing on Wiggins, even if he does play the same position as Kobe Bryant. They are also very high on Exum -- so high we have him No. 2 on their board. At No. 3 is Parker.
(Last week: 6
)
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[h=3]7. Sacramento Kings | Status: Rebuilding | Record: 27-50 (2-2)[/h]
The Kings are playing themselves out of a high draft pick at the moment. But if they win the lottery, I believe they still have Embiid at No. 1 (barring a revelation that his back is a problem), with Parker second and Exum third. This is one team that doesn't have Wiggins in its top three, I'm told -- mostly likely because it feels other players fit a bigger need.
(Last week: 7
)
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[h=3]8. Detroit Pistons | Status: Tanking | Record: 28-49 (2-2)[/h]
The Pistons are praying that they stay in the eighth spot so they don't have to send their pick to the Bobcats (who get the Pistons' pick if it falls between 9 and 30). If they can turn it into the No. 1 pick, look for them to grab Parker (necessitating some sort of move for either Josh Smith or Greg Monroe). Wiggins would be their second choice, followed by Exum.
(Last week: 8
)
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[h=3]9. Cleveland Cavaliers | Status: Trying | Record: 31-47 (1-2)[/h]
The Cavs' overtime loss to the Bobcats on Saturday effectively killed their chances of making the playoffs. With five games to go, Hollinger's Playoff Odds give the Cavs a zero percent chance of making the playoffs. Given concerns about losing Luol Deng this summer, Parker comes in at No. 1 for the Cavs, followed by Embiid and Wiggins.
(Last week: 9
)
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[h=3]10. New Orleans Pelicans | Status: Trying | Record: 32-45 (0-4)[/h]
The Pelicans will have to give this pick to the Sixers unless they win one of the top three picks. If they do get their hands on the No. 1 pick, Parker is in the lead (a perfect fit for them at small forward) followed by Wiggins and then Embiid.
(Last week: 10
)
[h=4]KEY[/h]Tanking: The front office has deliberately weakened the team in an attempt to lose as many games as possible.
Tank-building: The space that lies somewhere between the ideas of tanking and rebuilding.
Rebuilding: The team's front office didn't go out of its way to sign or trade for quality players last summer, but it was less an attempt to lose games than it was an opportunity to give young players already on the roster a chance to prove themselves.
Trying: The team's front office went out of its way over the summer to strengthen the roster in an attempt to make the playoffs. The team just isn't very good.
By Chad Ford | ESPN Insider
With just a week and a half to go in the regular season, the Bucks are a virtual lock to secure the best odds of winning the lottery at 25 percent. They have a three-game lead over the Sixers, who are five games ahead of the Magic for the second-best odds of 19.9 percent. Meanwhile, the Magic, Celtics, Jazz and Lakers are in a pretty close race for that No. 3 spot and a 15.4 percent chance of winning the lottery.
With the college basketball season ending today, whom would each team take with the first, second or third pick? I asked NBA personnel to give us a peek at their Big Boards heading into next month's NBA Draft Combine. Here's a look:
<OFFER></OFFER>
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
[h=3]1. Milwaukee Bucks | Status: Tanking | Record: 14-63 (past week: 0-4)[/h]
The Bucks have been big Joel Embiid fans, but the team with the most injuries in the NBA this season is wary until it gets more information about his back. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker are the other candidates if the Bucks land the No. 1 pick.
While Parker may be the safer pick, a combo of Wiggins and Giannis Antetokounmpo could be amazing down the road. I think their board looks like this: (1) Wiggins, (2) Parker, (3) Embiid.
(Last week: 1
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[h=3]2. Philadelphia 76ers | Status: Tanking | Record: 17-60 (1-3)[/h]
The Sixers won't get the most pingpong balls, but they will have a lot. They've had Wiggins atop their board all season, and I don't think that will change. But if Wiggins is gone, Parker is probably second on their board followed by Embiid. Dante Exum also has some traction in Philly.
(Last week: 2
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[h=3]3. Orlando Magic | Status: Tanking | Record: 22-55 (1-2)[/h]
The Magic want a point guard and will likely have three good options -- Exum, Marcus Smart and Tyler Ennis. However, none of them are in serious consideration for the No. 1 pick. But Exum is close, and I'm told he is No. 2 on Orlando's board; Wiggins is first and Parker is third. The Magic remain quite high on Smart as well and have him at No. 4.
(Last week: 3
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[h=3]4. Boston Celtics | Status: Rebuilding | Record: 23-54 (0-4)[/h]
The Celtics are going out in true tanking fashion, having lost their last eight games. They could catch the Magic for that No. 3 spot, and I think that's where GM Danny Ainge is hoping his team can land. We've had Jabari Parker at No. 1 for the Celtics for most of the season with Embiid No. 2, but it's time to revise it (unless Embiid's back injury turns out to be nothing). We now have the Celtics with Wiggins at No. 1, Parker No. 2 and Embiid No. 3.
(Last week: 4
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[h=3]5. Utah Jazz | Status: Rebuilding | Record: 24-53 (1-2)[/h]
If the Jazz win the No. 1 pick, there is no way they pass on Parker. Not only are they a team that wants to make the quick push to the playoffs next season -- meaning the Jazz want an impact player from day one -- but Parker's Mormon faith has already made him crazy popular in Utah. Wiggins is second on their board, followed by Exum.
(Last week: 5
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[h=3]6. Los Angeles Lakers | Status: Tanking | Record: 25-52 (0-4)[/h]
The Lakers are tough to figure out. They lose to the worst team in the league -- the Bucks -- and get blown out by 35 at the hands of the Wolves but still manage a 30-point win over the Knicks and a 16-point win over the Suns. Those two wins put them one game behind the Jazz for the worst record in the West. The Lakers have a pretty tough schedule the rest of the way, though.
The Lakers need a star and will have a hard time passing on Wiggins, even if he does play the same position as Kobe Bryant. They are also very high on Exum -- so high we have him No. 2 on their board. At No. 3 is Parker.
(Last week: 6
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[h=3]7. Sacramento Kings | Status: Rebuilding | Record: 27-50 (2-2)[/h]
The Kings are playing themselves out of a high draft pick at the moment. But if they win the lottery, I believe they still have Embiid at No. 1 (barring a revelation that his back is a problem), with Parker second and Exum third. This is one team that doesn't have Wiggins in its top three, I'm told -- mostly likely because it feels other players fit a bigger need.
(Last week: 7
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[h=3]8. Detroit Pistons | Status: Tanking | Record: 28-49 (2-2)[/h]
The Pistons are praying that they stay in the eighth spot so they don't have to send their pick to the Bobcats (who get the Pistons' pick if it falls between 9 and 30). If they can turn it into the No. 1 pick, look for them to grab Parker (necessitating some sort of move for either Josh Smith or Greg Monroe). Wiggins would be their second choice, followed by Exum.
(Last week: 8
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[h=3]9. Cleveland Cavaliers | Status: Trying | Record: 31-47 (1-2)[/h]
The Cavs' overtime loss to the Bobcats on Saturday effectively killed their chances of making the playoffs. With five games to go, Hollinger's Playoff Odds give the Cavs a zero percent chance of making the playoffs. Given concerns about losing Luol Deng this summer, Parker comes in at No. 1 for the Cavs, followed by Embiid and Wiggins.
(Last week: 9
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[h=3]10. New Orleans Pelicans | Status: Trying | Record: 32-45 (0-4)[/h]
The Pelicans will have to give this pick to the Sixers unless they win one of the top three picks. If they do get their hands on the No. 1 pick, Parker is in the lead (a perfect fit for them at small forward) followed by Wiggins and then Embiid.
(Last week: 10
[h=4]KEY[/h]Tanking: The front office has deliberately weakened the team in an attempt to lose as many games as possible.
Tank-building: The space that lies somewhere between the ideas of tanking and rebuilding.
Rebuilding: The team's front office didn't go out of its way to sign or trade for quality players last summer, but it was less an attempt to lose games than it was an opportunity to give young players already on the roster a chance to prove themselves.
Trying: The team's front office went out of its way over the summer to strengthen the roster in an attempt to make the playoffs. The team just isn't very good.
