Board of Governors to Vote on Lottery Reform

Since the day he took over for David Stern as NBA commissioner, Adam Silver has promised change. He’s acted swiftly and abruptly in some cases, and slowly and methodically in others.

On Wednesday, October 22, Silver’s attempted reformation of the Draft Lottery will be voted upon by the NBA’s Board of Governors.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, two teams are expected to vote no: the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers.

Lottery reform vote at NBA Board of Governors Wednesday. 23 of 30 votes to pass. Philly/OKC will vote “No” but support short on stopping it.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 20, 2014

Zach Lowe of Grantland confirmed that the opposition is falling short.

League’s proposed reform still expected to pass. Requires at least 23 of 30 votes. — Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 20, 2014

Barring an unforeseen setback, the draft lottery will change.

Under the current lottery system, the team with the worst record in the NBA has a 25.0 percent chance at winning the No. 1 overall draft choice. The team with the second-worst record clocks in at 19.9 percent and the third-worst has a 15.6 percent chance.

The odds continue to decline from thereon out. It’s 11.9 percent for No. 4, 8.8 percent for No. 5, 6.3 percent for No. 6, 4.3 percent for No. 7, 2.8 percent for No. 8 and 1.7 percent for No. 9. From No. 10 to No. 14, the odds are 1.1 percent or lower.

Under the new system, that would change dramatically.

The proposed alteration would give the four worst teams an equal set of odds at roughly 11 percent. That number would decline from thereon out, with the No. 5 and No. 14 teams in the lottery earning a percentage chance between 2.0 percent and 10.0 percent at the No. 1 overall draft choice.

In other words, the unpredictability of the draft lottery would grow exponentially.

The intention of this move would be to discourage tanking and create a more level playing field in terms of which teams have a shot at the No. 1 pick. Thus, one of the two oppositions comes as no surprise.

After a season of blatant tanking, the 76ers are prepared to do two things in 2014-15: fight this reformation and tank all over again.

The reformation wouldn’t entirely eliminate tanking, but it’d go a long way towards discouraging it. When four teams have equal odds and others aren’t far behind, losing intentionally does little to guarantee the No. 1 selection.

In a matter of days, the Board of Governors will vote on whether or not the changes will be put into action.

Paul George Works Out

On August 1, 2014, Indiana Pacers star Paul George suffered a gruesome compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg. The haunting injury was sustained at a Team USA scrimmage. The basketball community struggled to cope with it.

Less than three months later, George is already shooting jump shots.

There’s no telling if this development will enable the 24-year-old to return any quicker from the injury. What it does show, however, is how eager he is to return to basketball after what many expected to be a career-altering accident.

Before people get too carried away, being able to attempt a jump shot and being fit enough for a full NBA game are very different things. George has yet to receive medical clearance for the latter.

Nevertheless, Pacers fans have reason to be excited: the Indiana star is on the road to recovery.

Around The League

According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo could be available for the season-opener. “He had a scan on his hand and he’s progressing great,” [Boston Celtics head coach Brad] Stevens said. “He obviously won’t do any contact before the end of the week, but there’s a chance that he could be cleared to do some stuff by the end of the week.” When asked if he thinks Rondo will play on opening night, Stevens said, “I think it’s a possibility.” That further complicates a backcourt that includes Avery Bradley, Rondo and rookie Marcus Smart.