NBA Lottery Odds 2012: 10 Ways Lottery Order Will Change the Draft

With the NBA Draft Lottery happening tomorrow night, NBA fans are overflowing with anticipation.  Will the odds pan out as is? Who will the grand prize winner take with the top pick?

Either way, no matter how you look at it, the lottery results will bring on a maelstrom of speculation, anxiety and questions from draft enthusiasts like myself. Who will buy? Who will sell? Who will win the battle of Davis vs. Robinson?

That said, let's start feeding the addiction and look at 10 ways that tomorrow's results could change the draft itself.

Just Who Will Get the No. 1 Pick?

As past drafts have taught us, having the worst record is anything but a guarantee for the top pick. That said, though they have a 25 percent chance of obtaining it, the Charlotte Bobcats should have a Plan B given how the Washington Wizards have a 19 percent chance. Next up, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets both have about a 13 percent shot.

That said, each of those teams (and every lottery team, for that matter) have different immediate needs. Should any of them get the top pick, it could very well affect who gets selected when.

Will Trades Come into Play?

If the draft pans out a certain way, some trades will have an effect. 

For example, the Nets are in the lottery and have a seven percent shot at getting the top pick, but they traded their first-round selection to Portland at the trade deadline, receiving Gerald Wallace in return. 

Thus, team management had better pray that they make the top three, otherwise the Blazers get the pick.

That all being said...

Some Teams May Get Shafted

There's no other way to say this. The Nets NEED a first-round selection.

They're a young team looking to acquire Dwight Howard and re-sign Deron Williams, and one way to convince both stars to play for them would be drafting a top prospect. Unfortunately, their odds of making the top three are not much greater than their odds of being No. 1.

That said, it could be another long year for coach Avery Johnson (pictured).

The same can be said for the Golden State Warriors, who could also use some help via the draft. Unless they make the top seven, their pick goes to the Utah Jazz.

Davis vs. Robinson

At this point, I think it's obvious who the top two players in the draft pool are: Kentucky forward Anthony Davis and Kansas forward Thomas Robinson. That said, the two teams with the best odds of being No. 1 in the lottery have very different needs.

The Charlotte Bobcats are a rebuilding project, so they could very well take Davis, who will most likely spend a couple of years adjusting to the NBA. The Washington Wizards, on the other hand, need an NBA-ready power forward to pair with point guard John Wall, and that's where Robinson comes in.

That said, should either of those teams receive the top pick, it'll be interesting to see how the decision-making pans out.

Are We Set Up for a Surprise?

Last year's draft proved to be full of surprises, starting with Texas forward Tristan Thompson being taken fourth by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Going into the draft, most pegged him as not being taken until the middle of the round.

That all being said, there's no guarantee that Robinson or Davis will be taken first. For all we know, a team like the Phoenix Suns could get the first pick and take someone like Jeremy Lamb or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Either way, nothing is guaranteed in the draft.

Who Goes Where?

As we all know, all five Kentucky starters entered the draft. How many of them are lottery picks is highly debatable, but given how the draft order pans out and the needs of lottery teams, could we see five Wildcats go in the first 14 picks?

Will Michael Jordan Attend?

I just got to thinking...what if the Charlotte Bobcats don't win the first overall pick? Will Michael Jordan not attend the draft? Then again, will he attend at all?

It may seem insignificant, but an owner's presence at the draft could be HUGE.

Will Some Players Even Attend?

Last year's NBA draft class was fairly weak compared to this season's, but many of the players in the pool were invited to the "green room" by the NBA. On top of them, many other players like Darius Morris and Kenneth Faried also attended.

Given how stacked this year's draft class is, just how many of the players will the NBA invite, and will each first-round selection even take the stage?

Who Gambles?

The best part about the NBA draft is the unpredictability. Some players may go on to Hall of Fame careers, while others will flame out quickly. In some cases, barely any players selected go on to have memorable careers (That's right, 2000 NBA draft. I'm talking about you!)

Thus, will all lottery teams roll the dice on a selection or will some do this...

Who Sells?

Lottery draft picks are near-priceless, so dealing them usually means a lot of money and talent changes hands. That said, there's always the possibility that post-lottery, some teams will receive a lot of phone calls about their pick. In some cases, the pick may very well be traded away.

Will Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert (pictured) deal his pick or work his magic in the draft room yet again? 

No matter how you look at it, just one seller could change the outcome of the entire draft, and thus, change the upcoming season.