Draft Order Set

The NBA Draft Lottery is an annual event held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in which the teams who had missed the playoffs in the previous season, or teams who hold the draft rights of another team that missed the playoffs in the previous season, participate in a lottery process to determine the draft order in the NBA Draft.

In the current rules, 14 teams participate in the Draft Lottery. The lottery is weighted so that the team with the worst record, or the team that holds the draft rights of the team with the worst record, has the best chance to obtain a higher draft pick. The lottery process determines the first three picks of the draft. The rest of the first-round draft order is in reverse order of the win-loss record for the remaining teams, or the teams who originally held the lottery rights if they were traded. The lottery does not determine the draft order in the subsequent rounds of the draft.

However, seeing as how this season is different and all teams are starting from square one, we will be conducting the draft lottery a bit differently.

The NBA's newest television personality and future hall-of-famer Shaquille O'Neal will be joining us live on TNT to make selections. So without further adieu, let's turn it over to E.J., Kenny, Charles and Shaq in Atlanta.

E.J: "Thanks guys. Welcome to coverage of the 2011 NBA 'fantasy' Draft Lottery. Let's get you caught up on how we got here. Last week, the NBPA decertified, thus voiding all current NBA contracts. This resulted in all current players becoming free agents."

Charles: "You know Eee.Jjj. I don't think this is as turible as people are making it out to be. You see Ernie, sometimes you just don't want to be stuck in the snow in Milwaukee. There's no women there. The night's is longer it seems, and you just can't win. I like that players can move...uh..move around and start over."

Kenny: "Not me, I loved being able to play basketball. Now if you make me move to a new team, it makes me wonder if I'm going to like the coach. Am I going to know my teammates? What if I got put on a team with Charles back in the day, how would I feel? Pretty damn bad."

Charles: "You just mad that you don't have a lick of talent Kenny. You see Kenny, you might have a ring..."

Kenny: "I do have a ring. 2 of them, thank you..."

Charles: "There you go again Kenny, always interrupting. Can I finish?"

Kenny: "Sure, go ahead."

Charles: "So as I was saying before twiddle dumb interrupted me and made such a turrible comment; players that don't have a lick of talent like Kenny, they are just happy to be on a team. A lot of them now will wonder what their roles are and I think you might see some turrible basketball. We'll see what happens."

E.J. "Well either way, we are prepared for an exciting season of NBA basketball, that's for sure. Teams will be reconfigured, yes; but the rules are set up so that no one team can out bid their opponents. This might be the first time in league history that everything is completely fair. It's a new era of NBA basketball. Let's send it over to Craig Sager and Shaquille O'Neal and get this party started!!"

Craig: "Thanks Ernie. I'm here with our newest co-host, Shaquille O'Neal, the 4-time NBA Champion and former #1 overall draft pick...."

Shaq: (Inaudible) "I'd like to let you guys know that I am now know as the 'Big Show'. I am excited to be here. It's going to be a ride on the roller-coaster of basketball fun, so buckle up cause we are going for a ride baby!!!"

Craig: "Thanks Shaq....."

Shaq: "Big Show, Craig. Don't mess it up again or your new name will be no-head Sager."

Craig: "Thanks 'Big Show'. We are excited to have you here as well. You're going to be the guest selector for this years fantasy draft. Before we get started, lets get the audience caught up on what's going to happen. We have bought 30 crisp red apples. Each apple has a different team's logo etched into it and has been dropped into this aluminum bucket. Just like you do at the fair, 'Big Show' is going to bob for apples one at a time. Each time he pulls out an apple, that team will be slotted into the appropriate slot. We'll work backwards from 1st all the way to #30. Are you ready 'Big Show'?

Shaq: "Ye"

Craig: "The let's begin......"

Shaq (dipping his head into the bucket and emerging with an apple in his mouth) "Damn, the water is cold. Here's the first apple..."

Craig: "With the 1st overall pick in this year's draft, the Philadelphia 76ers!!"

Shaq: "Do I have to do that again?"

Craig: "Yes, bob for another one...."

(due to time constraints, let's fast forward through the picks....)



(Please note, the draft was randomly selected)