The NBA Lottery is a winner take all deal in terms of the number one pick. The New Orleans Hornets were able to parlay a number four pick into the number one pick. There are additional resources at the end of this article.
The New Orleans Hornets turned their luck around in the NBA lottery on May 30, 2012. The New Orleans Hornets took the pick that the received for Chris Paul, another former number one pick, and turned it into the number one pick in the 2012 draft. While this is not the biggest jump in NBA history it does create a turn of events for a team and a city looking for good news in the sports world.
The New Orleans Hornets for the past several months have been owned by the NBA. They have been sold to a group of owners, including New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, and now have the number one pick in the NBA draft this June. This is the first time in the history of the New Orleans Hornets that they have picked number one overall. Most experts agree that the New Orleans Hornets will most likely pick Anthony Davis, the center from the University of Kentucky.
The Charlotte Bobcats had the best chance of receiving the number one overall pick since they had the worst record last season. The Bobcats will now pick second overall. The Bobcats would have loved to been able to pick Anthony Davis but they are in dire need of help at all positions. Recent picks of the Charlotte Bobcats have not made contributions to the team.
The New Orleans Hornets are in need of a little good news. Chis Paul, the face of the franchise, asked to be traded and was sent to the Clippers. This was only after a string of on and off and then on again trades. This allows the Hornets to pick the consensus best player in this draft. Anthony Davis can rotate between center and forward which should help the New Orleans Hornets in their drive to make the playoffs and become a contender.
Here is the order that teams will pick on June 28th during the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft:
1. New Orleans Hornets
2. Charlotte Bobcats
3. Washington Wizards
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Sacramento Kings
6. Portland Trail Blazers (from the Brooklyn Nets)
7. Golden State Warriors
8. Toronto Raptors
9. Detroit Pistons
10. New Orleans Hornets
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Milwaukee Bucks
13. Phoenix Suns
14. Houston Rockets
15. Philadelphia 76ers
16. Houston Rockets (from the New York Knicks)
17. Dallas Mavericks
18. Minnesota Timberwolves (from the Utah Jazz)
19. Orlando Magic
20. Denver Nuggets
21. Boston Celtics
22. Boston Celtics (from the Los Angeles Clippers)
23. Atlanta Hawks
24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from the Los Angeles Lakers)
25. Memphis Grizzlies
26. Indiana Pacers
27. Miami Heat
28. Oklahoma City Thunder
29. Chicago Bulls
30. Golden State Warriors (from the San Antonio Spurs)
Stay tuned for more!
Resources: