Geoff Burke – USA Today Sports Images
The Washington Wizards finished 25-25 over the last 50 games of the 2012-2013 NBA season. Had that been there winning percentage for the whole year, they would be the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The problem, of course, is that Washington went just 4-28 over the first 32 games of the season. Subsequently, they now are located in the middle of the lottery for the 2013 NBA Draft.
Their 29-53 record was identical to that of the Detroit Pistons, though, meaning that there would have to be a tie-breaker to determine who would have the seventh best odds at attaining the number one overall pick and who would have the eighth best odds. That tie-breaker was determined by the league on Friday with the Pistons winning. This will give the Pistons 36 chances out of 1000 at the number one overall pick and the Wizards 35 chances.
The difference in the two teams’ chances at getting the number one pick is almost nonexistent and neither team is really expected to legitimately receive the pick. The Wizards and the Pistons will likely end up getting a pick around where they are located in terms of odds: seventh and eighth.
Given that, the Wizards primary draft need revolves around bolstering their frontcourt, which was a wildly inconsistent part of their team for much of the season. The likely pick, given their position will be Alex Len, a high-upside big man that still needs a lot of development. However, if Anthony Bennett were to fall to them in the draft, that seems like the player that would suit the Wizards ideally as he has a versatile offensive game and skills that can translate to solid defense. It would be surprising if one of those two players didn’t end up in Washington if they Wizards have a chance to select them.
Cody Williams is a Senior NBA Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.
