Four Reasons Hawks Fans Must Watch NBA Draft Lottery

As a whole, the Southeast Division improved this season. But still, three of the five teams are in the lottery. The Orlando Magic are tied for the highest odds of the number one draft pick (14%). Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards have a 13.9% chance of landing in the top four. Plus, the Charlotte Hornets have a 4.8% chance of landing in the top four.

The Magic already have a promising young roster, and a top selection in this year's draft will only solidify their core. The Wizards could have easily been a playoff team if not for Bradley Beal suffering a season-ending wrist injury. Of course, we know LaMelo Ball and the Hornets have made the Play-In Tournament for two consecutive years. The Southeast Division will only get tougher after this year's draft.

"You ain't handsome, you damn sure ain't cute," is what Kendrick Perkins recently told Draymond Green. Between that rivalry and the ESPN segment where Patrick Beverly took shots at Chris Paul, my hateration is turned all the way up. 

Half of the lottery teams are in the Eastern Conference, and one of them is named the New York Knicks. The Knicks went off for a smooth 37 victories this season which gave them a 9.4% chance of a top-four pick and a 2% chance of the number one overall pick (coincidentally the same as Immanuel Quickley's shooting splits).

I know it's hard to believe, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have two draft picks in this year's lottery. But like Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Thunder general manager Sam Presti eventually has to stop harvesting and begin cultivating. Under Presti's watch/science experiment, the Thunder have built a war chest of assets. A potential trade with the Hawks could go in any number of directions, so keep an eye on how things shake out with the Thunder tonight.

At the end of the day, we're all hoops fans. This spectacle is the NBA's version of the Kentucky Derby or the Timberwolves' time in the postseason - it's the most exciting two minutes in sports. Naturally, ESPN will squeeze in a few commercial breaks, but that's a good thing. It gives us fans a chance to catch our breath and check Twitter.