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The NBA conducted the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery earlier today and announced the order of the 2021 NBA Draft. The Golden State Warriors have both the 7th and 14th picks in the first round while the Orlando Magic have both the 5th and 8th picks.
All 14 non-playoff teams sent famous representatives for the lottery ceremony, with the Houston Rockets sending Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon and the Detroit Pistons sending Ben Wallace.
The NBA Draft Lottery is a system where the NBA decides the order of the first-round of the NBA draft. The lottery decides the top four of the draft. The rest of the order is set according to the inverse of the win-loss records of the remaining teams.
Who got the first pick in NBA Draft 2021?
The NBA announced that the Detroit Pistons will get the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. They ended the regular season with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 20-52 and had a 14% chance of getting this pick. They sent in 2004 NBA champion and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ben Wallace to represent their team. He spoke about what getting the first pick means for his franchise:
"It's going to mean a lot for this team. I think the team is heading in the right direction. We got a group of young guys who come out and play hard on both ends of the floor. It's one of those teams where guys come out and make plays with their energy and effort, and to add a No. 1 pick to that caliber of team."
This is the first time the Detroit Pistons have ever moved up in the NBA Draft lottery as a franchise.
NBA Draft 2021: Who will be the number one draft pick?
The consensus first overall pick is expected to be Cade Cunningham of the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He is ranked first by the majority of publications and mock drafts.
Cunningham was highly impressive for Oklahoma State with his savvy skills. He is a 6-foot-8 point guard who is taller than usual for his position and scouters say he can bully smaller defenders in the paint with ease.
The 19-year-old has incredible potential and can do it all. Cunningham has consistently managed to score on the inside and shoot from deep as well. He averaged 20.2 points on 41.2% shooting from beyond the arc.
Cunningham is also is known for his passing and playmaking as he dictates the offensive tempo like a veteran point guard. He reads and manipulates defenses and delivers one-handed whip passes which leaves defenders perplexed.
He is often compared to Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons due to his elite playmaking. But unlike those two stars, Cunningham is also comfortable playing off the ball. He crashes the boards, sets screens, cuts to the rim and relocates for open shots.
What makes him a first overall pick prospect is also his production on the defensive end of the floor, making him a great two-way player. He is an excellent off-the-ball defender who crowds passing lanes and comes up with steals but can also lock up on the ball when required. Cunningham has the caliber and potential to make an NBA All-Defensive team as he has shown incredible intelligence at that end of the floor.
Cunningham is also quite clutch in the limited reps he has had and is a great team leader to boot. The Detroit Pistons will look to draft him as he could potentially be the cornerstone player for the franchise and lead them to the 2021-22 Playoffs.
Also Read: NBA Draft Lottery Results 2021: Complete draft order from 1 to 60
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