Music: {allcanada} RAPTORS HOPE FOR SOME LUCK IN NBA DRAFT LOTTERY ON TSN

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

{allcanada} RAPTORS HOPE FOR SOME LUCK IN NBA DRAFT LOTTERY ON TSN

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The Toronto Raptors will be hoping for a little help from lady luck at tonight's NBA Draft Lottery.

You can see how the ping pong balls fall live on TSN beginning at 8pm et/5pm pt.

The Raptors head into the Lottery with just a 3.5 per cent chance at jumping from eighth to first and claiming the right to draft Kentucky star Anthony Davis.

Davis is the overwhelming favourite to be picked first after being named the NCAA Player of the Year and leading the Wildcats to the national championship.

A player like Davis would obviously be a huge boost for the Raptors but they aren't in need of his services nearly as badly as the Charlotte Bobcats are.

The Bobcats have the best chance to land the top pick thanks to a woeful .106 winning percentage this season (7-59), the worst in NBA history. Charlotte lost 23 consecutive games to close the season and are in desperate need of a player like Davis to help turn things around.

Their 25 per cent chance of winning the first pick guarantees nothing, though. The last time the team with the worst record landed the top pick was in 2004, when the Orlando Magic selected Dwight Howard.

After Charlotte, the Washington Wizards have a 19.9 per cent chance of picking first, while Cleveland (13.8 per cent) and New Orleans (13.7) have the next-best chances. The Houston Rockets face the longest odds at selecting first with just a 0.5 per cent shot.

While the odds are against the Raptors landing Davis or another lottery pick, it wouldn't be the first time a team in Toronto's position walked away with the big prize.

In fact, just last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers went into the lottery holding the Los Angeles Clippers pick that had only a 2.8 per cent chance of winning. Well win that pick did, and the Cavaliers walked away with the right to draft future Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving.

Back in 2008 the Chicago Bulls had only a 1.7 per cent chance at winning when they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in draft lottery history. They, of course, turned that pick into last year's NBA MVP Derrick Rose.

The Raptors themselves also moved up from fifth to first back in 2006 when they selected Andrea Bargnani.

There are several areas with room for improvement for the Raptors but small forward and shooting guard are probably their two most glaring weaknesses that need addressing if they don't land Davis.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Kentucky or Florida's Bradley Beal would be ideal fits for the Raptors. However, barring a jump into the top-3, neither is likely to be available by the time the Raptors pick. That could make players like North Carolina's Harrison Barnes or Connecticut's Jeremy Lamb more legitimate options for the Raptors depending on how things shake out.

Keep in mind, the Raptors could also drop from eighth position. The Raptors actually have a better chance of slipping to ninth (16.5 per cent) than they do at landing in the top three (12.32).

Last year Toronto had the third-best shot at picking first only to fall to fifth. They used that pick on Lithuanian centre Jonas Valanciunas who is set to make his Raptors debut next season, possibly alongside this year's pick.