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Tonight on ESPN at 7:00pm EST, the NBA will host its 2008 NBA Draft Lottery. While it may not be the most “fair” system out there for determining the top half of its yearly league draft order, it certainly is entertaining. Just look at what happened with last years lottery and the Celtics dropping all the way to 5th, and consequently pulling off some incredible trades that have led them to the conference finals this season.

Below is the listing of the teams in the Lottery and their probability of walking away with the top pick in the draft.

Miami Heat: 25%

Seattle Sonics: 19.9%

Minnesota Timberwolves: 13.8%

Memphis Grizzlies: 13.7%

New York Knicks: 7.6%

Los Angeles Clippers: 7.5%

Milwaukee Bucks: 4.3%

Charlotte Bobcats: 2.8%

Chicago Bulls: 1.7%

New Jersey Nets: 1.1%

Indiana Pacers: 0.8%

Sacramento Kings: 0.7%

Portland Trailblazers: 0.6%

Golden State Warriors: 0.5%

Now on the personal side of things, I’m a Sonics fan, and with the news that they’ll be moving to home state, I’m even more enthused for the possibilities of a #1 pick as they head to Oklahoma City very soon. When you combine what they got last year with Kevin Durant (Rookie of the Year) and Jeff Green, the foundations are there for a great future, and if they can add a #1 pick this year, they could really solidify their future success in the league. Alright, there’s my homer paragraph for the post.

The interesting thing about the NBA is the Lottery format. It adds and entertaining and endlessly debatable aspect to its draft each and every year. While it might not be the most fair way, or traditional way to set draft orders, it definitely brings attention to a league that can use all the positive attention it can get. I highly suggest tuning in tonight and checking it out, especially if you haven’t before, or if you’re not even a fan of the NBA. After the lottery, you may at the very least be intrigued, especially if it ends up being as crazy as last years Lottery.