This season, we learned that DeMar DeRozan can bring a lot of skill to the table for the Raptors. Now it's time to see if he can be just as lucky.
DeRozan will be the Raptors' representative at the NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus, New Jersey on Tuesday -- the team's consolation for finishing at 40-42 and in the Eastern Conference's ninth spot. After losing a coin flip tiebreaker with Memphis due to their equal records, the Raptors are all but assured of the 13th overall selection at the NBA draft on June 24.
Toronto still has an opportunity to move into the top three, but it's going to take a huge stroke of lotto luck to get there.
Only one team has ever vaulted from nearly as far to land the first overall pick -- the 1993 Magic, who were the best non-playoff team that season and still wound up with the first overall pick (for a second-straight season no less). But the Magic faced better odds that year (1 in 66) than the Raptors do on Tuesday (6 in 1000) after the NBA rejigged the format to give the worst teams better odds at a high pick.
Lady luck has smiled on the Raptors twice however, as they moved up one spot to second in 1996 to select Marcus Camby and went from a projected fifth pick to taking Andrea Bargnani first overall a decade later.
DeRozan will be the Raptors' representative at the NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus, New Jersey on Tuesday -- the team's consolation for finishing at 40-42 and in the Eastern Conference's ninth spot. After losing a coin flip tiebreaker with Memphis due to their equal records, the Raptors are all but assured of the 13th overall selection at the NBA draft on June 24.
Toronto still has an opportunity to move into the top three, but it's going to take a huge stroke of lotto luck to get there.
Only one team has ever vaulted from nearly as far to land the first overall pick -- the 1993 Magic, who were the best non-playoff team that season and still wound up with the first overall pick (for a second-straight season no less). But the Magic faced better odds that year (1 in 66) than the Raptors do on Tuesday (6 in 1000) after the NBA rejigged the format to give the worst teams better odds at a high pick.
Lady luck has smiled on the Raptors twice however, as they moved up one spot to second in 1996 to select Marcus Camby and went from a projected fifth pick to taking Andrea Bargnani first overall a decade later.
Comment