Zion Williamson in action for the Duke Blue Devils against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Photo / Getty
Zion Williamson in action for the Duke Blue Devils against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Photo / Getty
The New Orleans Pelicans have followed a disastrous season marred by the controversy surrounding Anthony Davis' trade request by winning the NBA draft lottery.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Davis' attempt to force his way out of Louisiana created the most "toxic" situation he has seen in three decades in the NBA.
But in a staggering turnaround in the franchise's fortunes, the Pelicans hold the number one pick in next month's draft and have first shot at Zion Williamson.
Despite having just a six per cent chance of ending up with the top pick, the Pelicans can now draft the most hyped prospect since LeBron James and have a ready-made replacement for Davis.
Seven years after landing The Brow, the Pels can immediately reboot their team by adding further pieces in an expected Davis trade โ or attempt to convince him to stay. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Davis' stance on a trade was not changed by the lottery result, per league sources.
Zion Williamson is projected to be the No 1 NBA draft pick. Photo / Getty
New Orleans is certainly not the big market destination the league perhaps would have hoped for, particularly given the New York Knicks were still in the mix late in the piece before landing the third pick. But try stopping the excitement in the Big Easy โ which also suffered a brutal exit from the NFL playoffs last season.
New York, Cleveland and Phoenix shared the best odds entering today's lottery in Chicago โ they all had a 14 per cent chance of winning under a new format that was designed in 2017 and put into play this year to discourage teams from all-out tanking.
Williamson, the consensus college basketball player of the year this past season, was in Chicago.
He averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils, who were knocked out of the March Madness NCAAtournament in the Elite Eight round.
"It's a lot to take in. I don't know where I'm going to be," he said, noting that until draft day comes it's not certain the Pelicans will pick him.
Wherever he lands, Williamson said, he believes his "will to win" will be the biggest asset he can bring to the NBA. "Whatever that team needs me to do, I'm going to be able to do it," he said.
Of course, Williamson isn't the only prize available to teams, with his teammates R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish to be among the top picks, as well as Murray State's Ja Morant, Vanderbilt's Darius Garland and De'Andre Hunter, fresh off an NCAA title with Virginia, already to make the jump.
The 14 teams that did not make the postseason were all eligible to win the lottery, with the NBA's three worst teams having the best odds, capped at 14 per cent. The percentage decreased for each following the team's regular-season finish โ Charlotte, Miami and Sacramento, which finished just outside the playoffs, all had approximately a one per cent shot at the top pick.
Ping pong balls numbered 1-14 were placed in a lottery machine, with four balls selected, creating a combination that determined the winners of the top picks (for the first time, the process went through four picks instead of three) with the rest being completed by record โ the team with the worst records cannot finish lower than the fifth pick.
