NBA Draft 2015: Post-Lottery Order Set Following Tiebreakers
The NBA took one more step toward locking in the final order for the 2015 draft by resolving the four tiebreakers among teams that finished with the same regular-season records.
Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears provided the results from the coin flips:
The biggest tiebreaker was that between the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz, both of which are in the draft lottery and had a claim to the 11th slot. The Pacers got the tiebreaker, which wasn't welcome news for the Jazz's official Twitter account:
The full order for the 2015 NBA draft won't be known until the draft lottery commences May 19. Until then, fans can only guess as to where their teams might be picking based on the odds. Tankathon provided the updated percentages.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 25 percent | 64.3 percent |
| 2 | New York Knicks | 19.9 percent | 55.8 percent |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 15.6 percent | 46.9 percent |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | 11.9 percent | 37.8 percent |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | 8.8 percent | 29.1 percent |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | 6.3 percent | 21.5 percent |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | 4.3 percent | 15 percent |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | 2.8 percent | 9.9 percent |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 1.7 percent | 6.1 percent |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 1.1 percent | 4 percent |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | 0.8 percent | 2.9 percent |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | 0.7 percent | 2.5 percent |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | 0.6 percent | 2.2 percent |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 0.5 percent | 1.8 percent |
At the very least, though, picks No. 15 through No. 30 are officially set. The order is based on the regular-season standings and the aforementioned tiebreakers.
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets) |
| 16 | Boston Celtics |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans) |
| 19 | Washington Wizards |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets) |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers) |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks) |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors |
The general perception around the NBA is that beyond the first 10 or so picks, it's almost impossible to find a potential All-NBA star.
However, this year's pool of talent is fairly deep. The incoming crop of rookies may not be of historic proportions, but teams outside of the lottery should be able to find plenty of value in the first round. The 2015 class shouldn't be a repeat of 2013.
While it may seem like a meaningless achievement, those teams on the right side of the tiebreakers have cause to celebrate.
