The winner was the Atlanta Hawks.
The result was nothing short of a miracle. Atlanta ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference with 36 wins and 46 losses this season. It had a mere 3 percent chance of being the top contender.
The Detroit Pistons, which had the lowest overall winning percentage (.171), slipped to the 5th place, and Atlanta secured the 4th place. When the 1st place was announced, Atlanta general manager Landry Fields took the stage with a big smile. After Atlanta, the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs won the 2nd to 4th places.
It is the first time in 49 years that Atlanta has won the top spot since 1975. It has also become the fifth team to win the top spot with the lowest probability since Rotary was introduced in 1985. The top spot was 1.52 percent of the 1993 Orlando Magic.
Fields said, “It was shocking. You’ll see from the odds, but something surprising happened. When I was in the top four, I thought, ‘I can do it properly. I’m surprised and very excited to see my No. 1 ranking.”
Now it is time to think happily. There is no overwhelming favorite in this year’s draft like Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio) who was selected last year. Some predicted that Atlanta would nominate big man Alex Sarr from France, but local media ESPN reported that “not all experts agree.” Zakari Lissache of France, Reed Shepherd and Rob Dillingham of Kentucky are also considered top candidates.토토사이트 추천
What attracts the most attention is traffic control. Rumors have it that Atlanta will disband Tray Young and Deyonte Murray throughout the season. Recently, rumors have suggested that the team will trade franchise star Young instead of Murray, who signed a four-year, 120 million-dollar extension contract last year.
“Atlanta has to make some decisions, including the dismantling of the backcourt,” ESPN reported as well. Fields responded by saying, “We have a tool that can help the team advance. It’s exciting. As there are many different types of players, I’ll think about it before the draft.”
Meanwhile, in the KBL, KCC in Busan hit the jackpot. In the 2012 KBL foreign player draft, he beat a 1.5% chance to win the top pick, and selected Courtney Sims. During the 2012-2013 season, KCC traded Sims to the Seoul SK Wyverns, who acquired Kim Hyo-bum and Chris Alexander.