NULL Cleveland Cavaliers Defy Odds with Top Picks in NBA Draft Lottery: Aussie Dante Exum and Jabari Parker Top Prospects

Cleveland Cavaliers Defy Odds with Top Picks in NBA Draft Lottery: Aussie Dante Exum and Jabari Parker Top Prospects

May 22, 2014 12:39 PM EDT

For the second year in a row, and the third time in the last four years, the Cleveland Cavaliers will make the first pick in the NBA draft.

Cleveland only had a 1.7 percent chance at winning the top pick, and they pulled it off. This is only the second time the lottery has produced back-to-back No. 1 picks for the same team.

Cleveland selected Anthony Bennett with the top selection last season and Kyrie Irving in 2011.

The Milwaukee Bucks, who finished the regular season with the league's worst record, will select second and the Philadelphia 76ers round out the three random chance picks. The rest of the teams were ordered based on their record last year, with the teams that did worse coming before those that did better in the W-L column.

2014 NBA Draft Lottery Results

1

Cleveland

 

2

Milwaukee

 

3

Philadelphia

 

4

Orlando

 

5

Utah

 

6

Boston

 

7

LA Lakers

 

8

Sacramento

 

9

Charlotte (via Detroit)

 

10

Philadelphia (via New Orleans)

 

11

Denver

 

12

Orlando (via New York)

 

13

Minnesota

 

14

Phoenix

 

This is the tenth year in a row where the team with the worst regular-season record did not win the lottery. Only the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, and Orlando Magic in 2004, have seen their worst record translate into the first pick in the draft, in the current lottery format.

Cleveland chose Lebron James with the pick in 2003.

This year they have a deep talent pool to choose from, so how they play it is probably a popular discussion in the city on the lake. They have more recent practice than any other team, so they should come to a decent choice. This year, they have a lot to consider.

Kansas teammates Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid are potential number 1s, but you can't forget Duke forward Jabari Parker, either. Australian prodigy Dante Exum is also in the running, as well as, Indiana's Noah Vonleh, Kentucky's Julius Randle, and Arizona's Aaron Gordon, so the Cav's have a tough call to make.

Parker is regard by many as having the type of talent that could produce results on the NBA court. He is a scorer, in many ways, pulling up for smooth jumpers off the dribble and using quickness inside to make for an effect post game.

The 7-footer Embiid has only played four years of organized basketball, and has some reported back issues, but when he is healthy he is a force on the court. Wiggins is really still all potential at this point, having been highly regarded since prep school. Many point to him as the best athlete in the this years group, so there is no telling exactly how he could develop in the NBA, either inside or out on the wing,

Exum, the Australian who said recently he didn't even have the NBA on his radar until recently is excitedby the possibilities. As late as just last year, he was thinking of earning a spot on a college team before going pro, so he is a bit in awe of the experience himself.

He excites many because of his natural playmaking and scoring ability, and many teams see his amazing potential.

The draft will be held June 26.