The OKC Thunder fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday Night, getting bounced from the NBA Play-In Tournament and bowing out of the postseason. The Oklahoma City Thunder now find themselves in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, but not in the way many pundits thought they would be six months ago.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are tied for the 11th-best odds, with the Chicago Bulls heading into the NBA Draft Lottery. The NBA held a “coin flip,” which is just another ping-pong ball drawing to determine who has the 11th and 12th best odds, respectively. That flip went in favor of the Bulls.
The OKC Thunder 2023 NBA Draft Lottery Odds After the “coin-Flip” against the Chicago Bulls.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls were each knocked out of the NBA Play-In Tournament on Friday Night in the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, after becoming the first pair of ten seeds to win a game in this tournament.
Victor Wembanyama is the prize of the NBA Draft, a generational talent that teams have been drooling over for over a year. The 7’5 big man who can score at all three levels, off the dribble, and swats over three shots a game is considered a “Generational Prospect.” Compared to LeBron James throughout the last year as the sure-fire first overall pick.
Some have argued he is a better prospect than LeBron James, though, of course, that is a loft appraisal considering James is one of the best, if not the best, player to ever step on the hardwood.
Beyond just Victor Wembanyama, the 2023 Draft features Scoot Henderson, who is also tabbed as a future star. With Those two leading the way, the top four is rounded out by the sharpshooting wing Brandon Miller and pick your favorite Thompson Twin (mine is Amen).
Here are the NBA Draft Lottery Odds for the OKC Thunder after the “coin toss”, which the Thunder lost to the Chicago Bulls.
Odds at Each Pick:
- 1.7 percent chance at the first overall pick
- 1.9 percent chance at the second overall pick
- 2.1 percent chance at the third overall pick
- 2.4 percent chance at the fourth overall pick
- No chance at picks 5-11
- 85.2 percent chance of Staying at the 12th pick
- 6.7 percent chance of falling to the 13th pick
- 0.1 percent chance of falling to the 14th pick
The Oklahoma City Thunder could have packed it in at multiple benchmarks throughout the NBA season, as the Dallas Mavericks eventually did, but instead, they battled the entire 82-game Marathon, made the NBA Play-In Tournament, and even won a postseason game.
Every year since the NBA implemented flattened Lottery Odds, a team has leaped into the Top Four. There is no team more deserving of a leap than the OKC Thunder, who had made all this progress with only one top-five pick on their roster and before said pick even logs a minute in the NBA.