NBA Draft Lottery 2015: Breaking Down Current Standings, Odds to Land Top Pick

While many teams and fans are solely focused on the NBA playoff race, there is another race developing right now as struggling organizations are hoping to land the best odds in the 2015 NBA draft lottery.

Finishing last doesn't guarantee anything, but the 30th-place team will have a 25 percent chance at selecting No. 1 overall. This is certainly a talent-rich draft, and the prospect of having the pick of the litter is undoubtedly an attractive option for teams that are out of the running for a playoff spot.

As things currently stand, here is a look at the NBA league standings and lottery odds, as well as a few players who could potentially come off the board at No. 1.

NBA Standings

Rank	Team	W	L	PCT
1	Golden State Warriors	61	13	.824
2	Atlanta Hawks	56	19	.747
3	Memphis Grizzlies	51	24	.680
4	Houston Rockets	51	24	.680
5	Los Angeles Clippers	50	26	.658
6	San Antonio Spurs	49	26	.653
7	Portland Trail Blazers	48	26	.649
8	Cleveland Cavaliers	48	27	.640
9	Dallas Mavericks	46	29	.613
10	Toronto Raptors	45	30	.600
11	Chicago Bulls	45	30	.600
12	Washington Wizards	42	33	.560
13	Oklahoma City Thunder	42	33	.560
14	New Orleans Pelicans	40	34	.541
15	Phoenix Suns	38	37	.507
16	Milwaukee Bucks	37	38	.493
17	Miami Heat	34	40	.459
18	Brooklyn Nets	34	40	.459
19	Utah Jazz	34	41	.453
20	Boston Celtics	34	41	.453
21	Charlotte Hornets	32	42	.432
22	Indiana Pacers	32	43	.427
23	Detroit Pistons	29	46	.387
24	Denver Nuggets	28	47	.373
25	Sacramento Kings	26	48	.351
26	Orlando Magic	22	53	.293
27	Los Angeles Lakers	20	54	.270
28	Philadelphia 76ers	18	58	.237
29	Minnesota Timberwolves	16	59	.213
30	New York Knicks	14	61	.187

NBA Draft Lottery

Rank	Team	Odds to Win Lottery
1	New York Knicks	25.0%
2	Minnesota Timberwolves	19.9%
3	Philadelphia 76ers	15.6%
4	Los Angeles Lakers	11.9%
5	Orlando Magic	8.8%
6	Sacramento Kings	6.3%
7	Denver Nuggets	4.3%
8	Detroit Pistons	2.8%
9	Indiana Pacers	1.7%
10	Charlotte Hornets	1.1%
11	Boston Celtics	0.8%
12	Utah Jazz	0.7%
13	Phoenix Suns	0.6%
14	New Orleans Pelicans	0.5%

Potential Targets at No. 1 Overall

Karl-Anthony Towns (Kentucky)

Forward Karl-Anthony Towns came to Kentucky amid much fanfare this season, and while it isn't always easy to stand out on a team that boasts incredible depth, Towns has done enough to put himself in the conversation for the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Towns already has an NBA body at 6'11" and 250 pounds, and his per-game averages of 10 points, over six rebounds and two blocks are impressive when considering the fact that he has to share the spotlight with so many other excellent players.

Despite his role not being quite as prominent as the one played by Jahlil Okafor at Duke, ESPN's Skip Bayless is among those who view Towns as the best player in the class:

Former Kentucky assistant coach (and now head coach at USF) Orlando Antigua agrees, citing Towns' versatility and overall skill, telling ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor:

"

With the No. 1 pick in the draft I would take Karl-Anthony Towns. He'd be a perfect fit for the Knicks and a city he's spent his whole life around and knows very well. He's already part of one of the biggest stages there is with Kentucky, so I don't think New York would be a problem for him. You can't go wrong with either guy, but (Towns) will work out for teams that will be blown away by his versatility, and I don't think Okafor has the same range and skills.

"

The New York Knicks are in the driver's seat when it comes to landing the top pick, and there is no doubt that getting a player like Towns could change the franchise.

That can be said for any team that ends up with the No. 1 overall selection, though. Towns is very much in the conversation, and it is difficult to envision him being anything other than a great player.

Jahlil Okafor (Duke)

In terms of production, Okafor has been the best freshman in the nation. That may not lead to him becoming the No. 1 overall pick, but he has most definitely made a fantastic case for himself.

The Chicago native is averaging well over 17 points and nearly nine rebounds per game as the Blue Devils' go-to option on offense. His defensive game is still developing, but he is already elite on the offensive end of the floor.

In fact, ESPN draft guru Chad Ford is taken aback by how good Okafor is offensively at such a young age, according to Mike & Mike on Twitter:

Okafor is so dominant in that one area that it could be enough to move him past Towns. Despite Towns looking like a more complete player, there are still some who prefer the Duke product. That includes at least one anonymous NBA scout, per Sean Deveney of Sporting News:

Teams probably can't go wrong with either Towns or Okafor, but the latter may be able to make a more noticeable impact immediately due to how strong his post game is on the offensive end.

At the same time, Okafor may need more work in terms of becoming the total package. The team that ultimately lands the top pick will have to weigh those pros and cons, but any team in the NBA would clearly be thrilled to come away with a player as talented as Okafor.

D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State)

Expectations were through the roof for the likes of Towns and Okafor entering the 2014-15 season, but that wasn't necessarily the case for Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell. His talent was obvious, but he performed at a level far higher than anyone could have realistically predicted.

With 19 points, nearly six rebounds and five assists per game, Russell did it all for the Buckeyes as a freshman. After likely playing his way into top-five position in the NBA draft, one can only assume that Russell will decide to declare.

He may not be able to overtake Towns or Okafor due to the emphasis on quality bigs, but he brings very different skills to the table than they do. Plenty of teams are looking for offensively gifted guards, and Russell may be the best this draft class has to offer.

As much as teams would love to win the lottery, Russell has all the makings of a great consolation prize. The team that ends up selecting third will probably miss out on Towns and Okafor, but Russell could turn out to be just as productive at a different position.

Even though he is still raw in certain ways, teams will jump at the chance to bring in Russell based on the type of player he can eventually become.

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