2012 NBA Draft Lottery: 5 Biggest Winners and Losers from the Lottery

The New Orleans Hornets were obviously the biggest winners of tonight's NBA Draft Lottery, literally winning the jackpot with Anthony Davis, arguably the most hyped rookie entering the NBA since LeBron James. While they pulled out the large straw, there were a few other teams and individuals that got the short end of the stick. With that in mind, here are the five biggest winners and five biggest losers of the NBA Draft Lottery tonight. 

No. 5 Biggest Winner: Thomas Robinson

With the Charlotte Bobcats just missing out on the No. 1 pick, Thomas Robinson could become the apple of Michael Jordan's eye with his competitiveness and scoring ability. The Bobcats were going to go power forward with Davis, so why not Robinson?

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist may fill a bigger need at small forward, but Robinson is a leader that the Bobcats need to rally around. Robinson is a huge winner because he goes from potentially not being picked in the top three to being nearly guaranteed to be picked among the first three teams.

No. 5 Biggest Loser: Cleveland Cavaliers

Despite Nick Gilbert, team owner Dan Gilbert's son, being at the Draft Lottery like he was last year when the Cavs won the lottery, Cleveland did not get the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row. Not only that, but they dropped down a spot from No. 3, where they were projected. At the No. 4 slot, they will still most likely get a player like Bradley Beal or Andre Drummond, but with a higher pick, they at least would have had possible options to trade down and gather some assets. 

No. 4 Biggest Winner: Golden State Warriors

Though they didn't move up in the lottery, they also didn't move down. If they did, they would have lost the pick to the Utah Jazz. Mark Jackson needs as many bodies as he can get. If Andrew Bogut is healthy and this pick contributes early on, this is a potential playoff team in the Western Conference. 

No. 4 Biggest Loser: Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard has been rumored to want to go to Brooklyn, but that deal seems to be gone after the Nets lost their only potential asset in that if the Trailblazers' pick was in the top three, it would have gone to Brooklyn.

While Howard did commit to staying for one more year, the end of the season seemed to indicate he was unhappy in Orlando, and that the Magic had had enough of him too. If the ability to take Anthony Davis was given to Orlando in a trade from Brooklyn, Howard would easily be on his way to being a Net. Unfortunately, Howard will either stay in Orlando for a year or be traded somewhere he doesn't want to go. 

No. 3 Biggest Winner: Portland Trailblazers

With their pick staying outside of the top three, Portland now has two lottery picks, and have the opportunity to fully get past the Brandon Roy—Greg Oden era with these two picks and a lot of cap room. If they had lost this pick, they would have a been a step behind that plan. 

No. 3 Biggest Loser: Michael Jordan

With no No. 1 pick, the only top pick people will likely remember from Michael Jordan's career as an executive is Kwame Brown. Not only that, but Charlotte fans would have nearly forgotten about Adam Morrison after the No. 3 pick.

Michael Jordan's legacy as the greatest player ever is stained by being the worst executive in recent NBA history at this point. Even with Thomas Robinson or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, with Tom Benson owning the Hornets as well as the Saints, it almost seems like the Hornets will at least win a championship or two with a player of Davis' caliber. With that in mind, Jordan's legacy as an executive may never improve, even if the Bobcats become a playoff team in a few years. 

No. 2 Biggest Winner: Anthony Davis

Just nearly three months after leading Kentucky to a National Title at the Final Four in New Orleans, Anthony Davis starts his professional career where he ended his collegiate one.

New Orleans won 21 games despite Eric Gordon missing nearly the whole season and Emeka Okafor missing half the season, so this team is well coached by Monty Williams. With Tom Benson hopefully bringing some good vibrations from the Saints championship squad, Davis is officially anointed the Drew Brees of the NBA and the replacement for Chris Paul in New Orleans as franchise player, and no one deserves it more than him.

Let me be the first to wish him and the city good luck on being a great NBA city again. 

No. 2 Biggest Loser: Charlotte Bobcats

While Michael Jordan is technically part of the Bobcats organization, his legacy is what is taking a hit in this case. For the Bobcats, they had a chance to add a future NBA superstar in Davis, and were painfully close but to no avail. A player like Thomas Robinson or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will be good No. 3 options, but won't be the type of impact performers needed to get the Bobcats off and running on their rebuilding. Plus, this opens up the possibility for Michael Jordan to actually make a bad move, as he has seemingly had final say on moves. Andre Drummond could be Kwame Brown 2.0. Let's hope it doesn't happen, but I would not be not surprised if it does. 

No. 1 Biggest Winner: New Orleans Hornets

For a team that may have to give up two potential big-time centers in Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor (maybe amnestied due to injury issues), there is all of a sudden a lot of good voodoo going in their direction. Davis' presence, along with Tom Benson as the new owner and a very good coach in Monty Williams reminds me of a possible Tim Duncan situation in that Duncan came in as a No. 1 pick on a team that already had David Robinson in San Antonio. This could already be a potential playoff team next season with the two lottery picks and over $35 million in cap room if Okafor is amnestied. This would allow the Hornets to possibly re-sign Kaman and/or Eric Gordon, who is a restricted free agent. The future is so bright as of this writing for the Hornets, they may need to make Hornets theme songs in a few years. 

No. 1 Biggest Loser: Brooklyn Nets

What? A team other than the Bobcats were hurt more by the lottery results?

Yes, because as was previously reported today by Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, unless Dwight Howard is added to the Brooklyn Nets' roster, Deron Williams is on his way out.

If the Nets miss out on having the best two player combination in the NBA outside of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, they will be worse off than the Cleveland Cavaliers were when LeBron James left. Brook Lopez isn't even guaranteed to be on the team next season, and neither is Gerald Wallace, so the cupboard will be extremely bare, to the point that Marshon Brooks will be the best player for the Nets.

Wojnarowski made the point that having the No. 1 pick to trade to Orlando would have possibly allowed the Nets to keep Williams and Lopez on the roster in bringing in Dwight Howard. But now that ship has sailed, and maybe that of the hopes of a championship in five years that Owner Mikhail Prokhorov declared two years ago.