NBA Draft Lottery 2015: Breaking Down Rules, Format, Standings and How It Works

Every NBA team aspires to make the playoffs and vie for a championship, but for those who aren't fortunate enough to qualify for the postseason, the NBA draft lottery takes center stage.  

On Tuesday, the 14 teams that saw their respective seasons end after 82 games will hope to see one of their number combinations drawn. The organization that is lucky enough to win the lottery will have the opportunity to select a potentially transcendent player such as Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke center Jahlil Okafor.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2014 lottery despite having only a 1.7 percent chance, which means almost anything can happen. With that in mind, here is a rundown of the lottery odds as well as a closer look at how the NBA draft lottery works.

When: Tuesday, May 19, at 8:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

NBA Lottery Odds

Rank	Team	Chance to Win
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	25.0%
2	New York Knicks	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	Charlotte Hornets	1.7%
10	Miami Heat	1.1%
11	Indiana Pacers	0.8%
12	Utah Jazz	0.7%
13	Phoenix Suns	0.6%
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	0.5%

NBA Lottery Rules and Format

Although it refers to last year's lottery, this video courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel does an excellent job of explaining the process:

The lottery begins with 14 pingpong balls numbered one through 14. Every team is assigned a certain number of four-ball combinations based upon its odds. Whichever team has the first four-ball combination that is drawn earns the No. 1 overall pick. That process is then repeated for the second and third selections.

Once the top three picks have been determined, the remainder of the lottery will be determined by reverse order of records. That means the No. 4 pick will go to the worst remaining team that didn't draw No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3.

Breaking Down Top Lottery Prizes

Karl-Anthony Towns

Throughout the 2014-15 college basketball season, Towns and Okafor were not only vying for a national title, but also for the distinction of being the top prospect in the 2015 NBA draft. While Okafor was able to accomplish the former, the latter may ultimately go to Towns.

Although Towns was at a disadvantage in terms of statistical output since he had to share the spotlight with so many top players at Kentucky, he still flashed immense potential over the course of the season. His size and offensive acumen are in the same category as Okafor's, but his defense is currently at a different level.

John Schmeelk of WFAN is among those who believe Towns is the cream of the crop at the moment:

One team that would love to get its hands on either Towns or Okafor is the New York Knicks. New York has the second-best chance to land the No. 1 pick, and it may need it if it wants Towns rather than Okafor.

The Knicks struggled mightily last season, but Towns has made it clear that he would love to play in the Big Apple due to team president Phil Jackson, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post:

"

It's his presence. What he means to me, his presence is just amazing. What was so awesome as a coach, he made every player better and put them in the best position to succeed. He's just so smart and intelligent and has so much experience. He knows how to win. At the end of the day, what every player wants to do is win. If I have the opportunity to ever play for the Knicks, that's what I would love to do.

"

Towns may ultimately end up with the Minnesota Timberwolves or another lottery team, and he will immediately make that team a threat due to his unique blend of skills.

Players of Towns' caliber don't come around very often, which is why everyone involved with the lottery will have his or her fingers crossed when it comes to landing the top pick.

Jahlil Okafor

Despite being the key player on a championship team, there are some question marks surrounding Okafor that could prevent him from being the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft.

There is no better interior scorer in this draft than Okafor, which is something that should allow him to be successful immediately at the next level. His defense is a major area of concern, though, as is his free-throw shooting, as he hit just 51 percent of his attempts in 2014-15.

According to Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com, the 19-year-old enters the draft process with something to prove:

Although there is plenty left to play out, he is already making a good impression in terms of his physical conditioning, per Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com:

Okafor may not be as complete as Towns due to his deficiencies on the defensive end of the floor, but picking him apart is like splitting hairs. The former Blue Devils star is so dominant offensively that teams should be able to look past his defensive shortcomings.

Also, Okafor is still an extremely young player, so there is time to improve in that area. He undoubtedly has the size (6'11", 270 lbs) and strength to at least be solid defensively, and it is tough to envision him falling beyond the No. 2 overall selection with that in mind.

D'Angelo Russell

While both Towns and Okafor were expected to step in and be superstars at the collegiate level immediately, that wasn't necessarily the case with Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell. Even so, he managed to make an instant impact and establish himself as one of the top prospects in the 2015 draft.

The Louisville, Kentucky, native averaged over 19 points, nearly six rebounds and five assists per game as a do-it-all point guard for the Buckeyes. OSU may not have even been a tournament team without him, which speaks volumes about how valuable he was.

In fact, ESPN's Jay Bilas doesn't believe there is a more natural player in the entire draft class than Russell:

He may not be as highly rated as Towns or Okafor on most draft boards, but Russell brings something different to the table. He is arguably the best guard available, which means he will be highly sought-after within the top-five selections.

There will undoubtedly be some disappointment among teams that don't land the first or second pick, but the organization that comes away with No. 3 may very well have the first crack at drafting Russell.

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