NBA Lottery 2012: Teams That Will Make Playoffs Next Season with a Bit of Luck
With a lucky bounce of the NBA draft lottery ping pong balls, there are a few teams that will be ready to crash the postseason party.
These teams better start warming up their lucky charms, and I don't mean hot breakfast cereal, because they face long odds if they want to crack the top three.
If they do, however, they are will be embarking on a draft that can turn their franchise around.
Golden State Warriors
Chance of Winning Lottery: 3.6 percent
The Warriors were in a position to make a push for the playoffs this year, until they made the Monta Ellis-for-Andrew Bogut trade.
The trade essentially was the Warriors waiving the white flag on the season as Bogut was injured at the time and did not play a game for the Warriors. This was all about next season.
Imagine a lineup with Bogut and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. Suddenly, the Bucks would have one of the best, if not the best, defensive frontcourts in the league.
Davis would also provide the low-post scoring that Bogut struggles with.
If they score the second or third pick, they will still be in excellent position. The second pick would likely end up with them taking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. He would add nice athleticism and scoring on the wing to pair with Steph Curry.
If they landed the third pick, the Warriors may be tempted to make a trade. If they held onto the pick, Thomas Robinson would be a great selection.
Again, the Warriors would have a dynamic and complete frontcourt. And even in the competitive Western Conference, this would give the Warriors a solid enough squad to make the playoffs.
Detroit Pistons
Chance of Winning Lottery: 1.7 percent
The Pistons will be able to erase some of the damage they did with the gross overpayment of Ben Gordon and especially Charlie Villanueva by winning a top-three pick.
The Pistons have a promising young center in Greg Monroe and, just like the Warriors, if they could pair their big man with Davis, they would have a fearsome frontcourt. Monroe and Davis would be a matchup nightmare for the opposition.
It would also give them a ton of versatility when Villanueva was actually able to play.
If they landed the second pick, they would be smart to go with Kidd-Gilchrist. The Pistons still have Tayshaun Prince at small forward, but Kidd-Gilchrist would give their offense the explosion they need.
They would also likely have a chance to add a dynamic scorer in Bradley Beal at either the No. 2 or 3. This would give them a nice backcourt, and he could pair with Rodney Stuckey to give them a potent scoring threat.
Milwaukee Bucks
Chance of Winning Lottery: 0.7 percent
The Bucks have a dangerous backcourt. But they need some frontcourt talent. They are have a solid defensive frontcourt, but they severely lack scoring.
Davis would help them out with the scoring and maintain their defensive integrity. He would bring excellent balance to this team.
Kidd-Gilchrist would be a huge upgrade at small forward, and would give the Bucks the kind of player they thought they were getting with Stephen Jackson. Also, small forward Carlos Delfino is about to be a free agent. While he would still have value if they did draft Gilchrist, this would free them up to let him walk if his price rose too high.
The other solid option for the Bucks would be Robinson. They would thrive with his scoring ability and rebounding. This team was close to making the playoffs this year. With the addition of one of these elite prospects, they'd be in for sure.
