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NBA Draft Lottery 2011: Cavaliers Have Second-Best Odds For Top Pick

The NBA will determine its 2011 Draft order on May 17, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have the second-best chances of landing the first overall pick. Teams with worse records have better odds, which is why only the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a 25 percent chance, have a better shot than the Cavaliers at winning the right to select first.

The Cavaliers stand as one of two teams with two lottery selections, as they obtained the Los Angeles Clippers' pick when they swapped Mo Williams for Baron Davis at the trading deadline. The Utah Jazz, similarly, have their own pick as well as one obtained from the New Jersey Nets in the Deron Williams trade.

The lottery drawing, which takes place at the league's Secaucus, N.J. studios this May 17, decides the first three picks only. Won-lost record determines the 11 remaining selections.

SB Nation's Tom Ziller put together this table to show the chances of each team winning the NBA Draft Lottery outright and winning one of the top three picks.

Team No. 1 Pick Top 3 Pick
Timberwolves 25.0% 64.3%
Cavaliers 19.9% 55.8%
Raptors 15.6% 46.9%
Wizards 11.9% 37.8%
Jazz (from Nets) 7.6% 25.4%
Kings 7.5% 25.3%
Pistons 4.3% 15.0%
Cavaliers (from Clippers) 2.8% 10.0%
Bobcats 1.7% 6.1%
Bucks 1.1% 4.0%
Warriors 0.8% 2.9%
Jazz 0.7% 2.5%
Suns 0.6% 2.2%
Rockets 0.5% 1.8%

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.