Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Knicks lost (bad): The Knicks got destroyed by Denver and remain 2 wins worse than the Sixers. They’ve now lost 4 in a row.
• Minnesota lost (bad): Minnesota lost on the road to the Clippers. The Wolves remain tied with the Sixers in the win column, but stay in the 3rd slot due to the Sixers having one more loss.

2015 Top-of-Draft Standings

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th)

• Denver won (bad): Denver’s victory over the Knicks also puts them another win away from the Lakers, as they now have 7 more wins than Los Angeles and sit in the 7th slot.
• Sacramento lost (good): At least Sacramento lost, which keeps the Kings 5 wins up on the Lakers and in that 6th slot.

Lottery Odds - Lakers Pick

Heat pick (top 10 protected, currently 12th):

• Miami lost (bad) / Boston won (bad): Really bad outcome for the Sixers, in my opinion. The Heat loss, combined with Boston’s win, pulls the Celtics (who are in the 10th slot) to within 1.5 games of the 12th-slotted Heat.The Sixers would have a 97.4% chance of getting that pick if the season ended today, but I’m very worried about Boston and/or Brooklyn passing Miami.
• Charlotte lost (bad): I’m assuming the Hornets are going to finish the season with a better record than the Heat.

Standings - Miami Pick

Lottery Odds - Heat Pick

Oklahoma City Thunder pick (top 18 protected, currently 19th):

• New Orleans won (bad) / Milwaukee lost (good): Either team losing helps the Sixers, as the Milwaukee loss puts the Thunder a full 2 games up on the Bucks for the 17th slot. However, the New Orleans win pulls the Pelicans to within a half-game of the Thunder for that final Western Conference playoff spot.
• Washington won (bad): The Washington win puts the Wizards a half-game up on the idle Thunder for that 19th slot.
• Chicago lost (good): Chicago lost to Memphis, which keeps Chicago slotted 20th, 3 games (4 wins) up on OKC as a fallback plan in case Washington goes on a run. Chicago has now lost 3 in a row as they try to adjust to life without Derrick Rose (again).

Standings - Thunder Pick

Tonight’s games:

• Orlando @ Indiana: Either outcome is theoretically good. Orlando losing keeps the (slim) chance of the Lakers catching them alive, but the more practical impact is keeping the Pacers ahead of Miami in an effort to keep the Heat pick in the 11-12 range.
• New Orleans @ Brooklyn: Sixers really need both teams to lose which, last I checked, isn’t allowed in the CBA. If the Thunder are healthy, I have more faith in them finishing out the season with a better record than the Pelicans, but man, it would be nice to see them get healthy, and New Orleans has Anthony Davis back and has won 8 of their last 10. The Sixers need the Nets to finish the season with a worse record than the Heat. Either outcome presents legitimate cause for concern.
• New York @ Utah: I expect Utah (slotted 11th) to finish the season strong, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them slip, just to give Miami a little bit more wiggle room between themselves and the top-10, and a New York win is always a nice surprise.
• Detroit @ Lakers: As with New York, a Lakers win is always good, not only for the (slim) hope of getting their pick, but also to keep them from passing the Sixers.

Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

2015 Top-of-Draft Standings

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Not much movement here, as all of New York, Philadelphia, and Minnesota had the night off.
• Lakers lost (bad): The Lakers lost another game that they were winning late. The loss drops the Lakers to 16-46, and they still only have 2 more wins than the Sixers.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th)

• Lakers lost (bad): The Lakers once again had a lead heading into the 4th quarter, but scored only 16 points in the final frame and lost to the Mavericks.
• Orlando won (bad): Orlando’s win over Boston, combined with the Lakers loss, puts the Magic 5 wins up on the Lakers. With only 20 games left for the Lakers, the “Lakers watch” section of this feature has pretty much turned into hoping that the Lakers don’t move any higher than the 4th worst record, and thus maintain a 17.2% chance of falling out of the top 5 on lottery night.

Heat pick (top 10 protected, currently 12th):

• Detroit lost (good) / Charlotte won (good): Detroit is still 5 wins back of Miami in the 8th slot. At least, it seems, we’re starting to see some separation. Between Indy, Charlotte, Brooklyn, Boston, and Utah, Miami needs to finish with a better record than 2 of them. Charlotte is now in the 16th slot at 28-33, a half-game up on Miami. Charlotte has won 5 in a row.
• Boston lost (good): Boston is in the 9th slot at 25-36, 3 wins behind Miami. How Boston reacts down the stretch will be key, as Utah, Indy, and Charlotte seem like pretty good bets to finish with a better record than Miami, leaving the Sixers with no margin for Boston or Brooklyn to go on a run.
• Brooklyn lost (good) / Jazz won (good): Brooklyn lost to the Jazz. As I mentioned yesterday, I think the Jazz finish with a better record than the Nets down the stretch, so I wanted Utah to win here. Utah, 7-3 in their last 10, is now in the 11th slot and only 2 wins behind Miami, who is in the 12th slot after last night’s events.

Oklahoma City Thunder pick (top 18 protected, currently 19th):

• Oklahoma City won (good): Another Russell Westbrook triple-double gives the Thunder another win without Kevin Durant, this time a 108-104 win over visiting Toronto. The win puts the Thunder in a tie with Washington for the 18th/19th slot at 35-28.
• Chicago lost (good): Chicago lost to the Spurs. The combination of the Bulls loss and OKC’s win puts OKC only 3.5 games behind Chicago, just in case Washington goes on a (very unexpected) run here to end the season.

Tonight’s games:

• Washington @ Charlotte: A Hornets win helps put some separation between them and Miami, and would also break the tie and put OKC alone in the 19th slot.
• Sacramento @ Atlanta: I suppose, for the sake of the Lakers pick, hope the Kings lose, but this game has very little chance of ultimately being significant with how unlikely it is that the Lakers catch the Kings (5 wins up on the Lakers).
• Boston @ Miami: Hope Miami wins? I think we need to hope Miami beats some of these bad teams, as wins could be tough to come by down the stretch, and Boston going on a run could doom the Sixers chances of getting the Heat pick. Need Miami to stay in the 11th-12th range, not fall off the map completely.
• Memphis @ Chicago: Chicago remains a backup plan in case the Wizards go on a tear, which is, of course, unlikely to be necessary.
• New Orleans @ Milwaukee: Sixers need both teams to lose, unfortunately. N.O. is a game behind OKC for the final playoff spot in the West. Milwaukee is 1.5 games behind OKC in the 17th slot. New Orleans losing here is probably preferable.
• New York @ Denver: With how unlikely the Lakers catching Denver is, I’m pulling for a Knicks win to help the Sixers (slim) chances of reaching the worst record.
• Minnesota @ Clippers: Clippers are on a tail end of a back-to-back, so perhaps that gives the Timberwolves a chance. The Wolves are tied with the Sixers in the win column at 14 a piece, and any win by Minnesota would be helpful.

Lottery Odds - Heat Pick

Lottery Odds - Lakers Pick

Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

2015 Top-of-Draft Standings

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Sixers won (bad): An incredible Sixers win, and another that I couldn’t in a million years complain about. The win has a chance to hurt the Sixers draft positioning, but I’m okay with sprinkling an incredible team effort in here every now and then.
• New York lost (bad): The Knicks looked like they had a very real chance of stealing a game last night, but the Pacers outscored them by 9 in the 4th quarter for a 6 point win. With the Sixers win and Knicks loss, the Sixers have 2 more wins than the Knicks.
• Minnesota won (good): Minnesota with a surprising win over Portland. They remain tied with the Sixers at 14 wins, but the Sixers have two losses in hand.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th)

• Sacramento lost (good): Sacramento lost to the Heat, which keeps them 5 wins behind the Lakers in the 6th slot.
• Denver lost (good): Denver fell to the Houston Rockets. They’re an incredible long shot, but are in the 7th slot with 6 more wins than the Lakers.

Heat pick (top 10 protected, currently 15th):

• Heat won (good?): I’m putting this OT win over the Kings down as a positive because I’m starting to get really, really concerned about the Heat falling into the top 10. They played last night without Luol Deng, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, and Hassan Whiteside. Would really like some separation to develop between 9 and 16.
• Indiana won (good): Indy won their 5th in a row and are now tied with Miami at 28-34. The two teams are going in opposite directions, so I’m counting on Indy to finish out the season better than the Heat.

Oklahoma City Thunder pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• Washington lost (good): Washington lost to Milwaukee. The Bucks win does pull them within a game of OKC, but I’m confident in OKC finishing out the season with a better record. The Washington loss pulls OKC to within a half game of the Wizards, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games and continue their freefall.

Tonight’s games:

• Chicago @ San Antonio: Chicago is 4.5 games up on OKC, and is kind of a desperation backup plan to the Thunder catching the Wizards. In a week or two this could become irrelevant.
• Charlotte @ Detroit: Charlotte, who has won 4 in a row, is 12th at 27-33, a win behind Miami. I’m expecting Charlotte to pass Miami eventually, which could be a good thing, as long as 2 of Utah, Boston, and Brooklyn (all 3 wins behind Miami) don’t.
• Utah @ Brooklyn: I think Utah has a better chance of catching Miami than Brooklyn does. What does this meaning, rooting wise? I’m not really sure. If you think Boston will falter and not pass Miami, then hope Utah wins. If you think Boston will also pass Miami, then hope Brooklyn wins, thus lessening the chance that the surging Jazz pass Miami. Hold me.
• Boston @ Orlando: Another tough one. The Lakers are unlikely to make up 4 games on the Magic with only 21 games to play. A Boston loss, which could push them further away from passing Miami, has a higher chance of being a positive for the Sixers when the season is over. But the impact of a Magic loss could be greater if the 2% chance that the Lakers pass Orlando AND get some bad luck on lottery night to fall down to 6 happens.
• Toronto @ OKC: An OKC win puts them in a tie for the 19th pick.
• Dallas @ Lakers: Lakers wins. Always cheer for Lakers wins.

Lottery Odds - Heat Pick

Lottery Odds - Lakers Pick

Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

2015 Top-of-Draft Standings

There were only 2 games last night, Dallas vs Portland and Oklahoma City vs Chicago. As such, there’s no change to the positioning of the Sixers, Lakers, or Heat draft picks.

Oklahoma City pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• Oklahoma City lost / Chicago won (bad): Bad night for OKC, who fell 108-105 to Chicago. Back-to-Back and on the road, without Durant, the Thunder lost on a game-winning 3 with 2.1 seconds remaining. The loss drops OKC to 34-28, giving them one more loss than the idle Washington Wizards for the 19th slot. It also pulls them to within 1.5 games of Milwaukee (17th), and, more importantly, only a half game up on New Orleans for the last playoff spot. The loss also hurts because it pushes OKC another game further away from Chicago, now making Chicago a full 5 games up on the Thunder and increasing the necessity that the Thunder pass the Wizards to move out of the bottom 18.

Tonight’s games:

• Utah @ Philadelphia: A Philadelphia loss helps the Sixers pick, and also helps keep Utah from passing Miami.
• Chicago @ Indy: The Pacers winning will help them pass Miami, thus hopefully increasing the chances Miami ends up in the 11-12 range rather than 16. A Chicago loss also keeps a glimmer of a hope alive that OKC could catch Chicago, just in case Washington goes on a tear.
• Sacramento @ Orlando: In theory a win-win, as the Lakers are chasing both of these teams (3 wins behind Orlando and 5 behind Sacramento). The Lakers catching Orlando is probably the (realistic) best-case scenario, so pulling for a Kings win here.
• Miami @ Washington: This is a tough one. I’d like to see Miami stumble a little, allowing Charlotte, Indy, and Brooklyn to pass them. But a Washington loss pushes them back into a tie with OKC. I have a pretty high degree of confidence that OKC will pass Washington eventually, so I’m probably pulling for the Wizards here.
• Toronto @ Charlotte: A Charlotte win and they could pass Miami, pushing the Heat down to the 15th spot.
• Boston @ New Orleans: Sixers fans have a vested interest in both of these teams. Boston is currently 10th, 3 wins behind Miami. The Celtics passing Miami would be bad for the Sixers chances of getting that pick. But New Orleans is in the lottery, only a win behind OKC. My confidence in OKC finishing better than New Orleans will drive my desire to see the Celtics lose here.
• Detroit @ Houston: Detroit is 8th and 4 wins behind Miami. Not much of a threat, but losing here would be beneficial to keep Miami out of the top 10.
• Phoenix @ Brooklyn: A Nets win could pull them closer to passing Miami, which would be good.
• Lakers @ Grizzlies: A(n unlikely) Lakers win here would help both the Sixers pick and the Sixers chances of getting the Lakers pick.
• Denver @ San Antonio: Odds of the Lakers catching the Nuggets to move out of the top 5 are still slim, but a Nuggets loss here would be the outcome that we want.

Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

2015 Top-of-Draft Standings

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Sixers lost (good): An incredible, exciting, entertaining game, and one I couldn’t possibly have been upset if they won. But losing does undeniably help their positioning. With all the other top-4 teams losing, the Sixers loss keeps them right where they were.
• (Side note: Remember when the Knicks, Lakers, and Wolves were all on little winning streaks? Gone. The 5 worst teams in the league have lost a combined 16 straight games, with the Knicks on a 2 game skid, Wolves on a 4 game skid, Lakers losing 3 in a row and Orlando 4).
• Knicks lost (bad): The Knicks loss to Indiana keeps them with one less win than the Sixers.
• Lakers lost (bad): The Lakers lost a heartbreaker to Hassan Whiteside and the Heat. Lakers are still 3.5 games back from the Sixers in the race for the most ping pong balls.
• Minnesota lost (bad): After a finally healthy, post-deadline shot in the arm, Minnesota has now lost 4 straight. Minny beating Denver would have been big, both for the Sixers pick and the Lakers pick.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th): 

• Lakers lost (bad): Again, just sad. With Orlando and Sacramento both losing, this was a (legitimate) chance to make up some ground. Instead, the Lakers remain 3 wins back of Orlando and 5 back of Sacramento.
• Orlando lost (good): Orlando fell to Phoenix, keeping them at 19 wins. They’ve lost 4 in a row, and the Lakers passing them remains the (realistic) best-case scenario. Finishing 5th would give the Sixers a 44.2% chance of getting the Lakers pick.
• Denver won (bad): Denver looks like a different team after firing Brian Shaw, sweeping both halves of a back-to-back, albeit against Milwaukee and Minnesota. Now 6 wins up on the Lakers, the chances of the Lakers catching them are virtually non-existent.
• Sacramento lost (good): If you’re holding out hope for a miracle, which the Lakers falling to the 6th slot would be at this point, Sacramento is your best bet. Their loss keeps them 5 wins ahead of the Lakers.

Heat pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):

• Heat won (bad): The Heat beating the Lakers was a double-whammy. The win keeps Miami at 16th, a win up on both Charlotte and Indy, and 2 wins up on Brooklyn, who is now 11th.
• Detroit lost (good): Detroit is currently 8th with 23 wins, so keeping them away from Miami is key.
• Boston won (bad): Boston is 10th at 24 wins. Unless Brooklyn falls, Boston cannot pass Miami. The positive: it did give Utah a loss. Either outcome of the game had both pluses and minuses, really.
• Charlotte won (good): Charlotte has been playing better of late, winning 3 in a row, and is now at 26 wins, jumping up to the 15th slot. They’ve been very, very streaky of late, so they could go either way.
• Indiana won (good): Indy has now won 3 in a row and 8 of their last 10, so them passing Miami seems like an eventuality.

Oklahoma City Thunder pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• OKC won (good): With OKC’s win over the Sixers, the Thunder (who have Westbrook back) are tied with Washington at 34-27. If they pass Washington, the Sixers get the pick.
• New Orleans won (bad): However, Anthony Davis also returned, and dropped 39 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 blocks on the Pistons. The win keeps New Orleans a game out of Oklahoma City and the 8th seed in the West. Despite having a better record than Miami, Milwaukee, and tied with Washington, New Orleans passing OKC would prevent the Sixers from getting that pick.
• Milwaukee lost (good): Milwaukee is on a tailspin of late, having lost 4 in a row. They remain at the 17th slot at 32-29, now 2 games in OKC’s rearview mirror.

Tonight’s games:

• OKC @ Chicago: Big game for the OKC pick. A win puts OKC a half-game up on idle Washington, and also pulls them a full game closer (3 wins) to Chicago as a backup plan.

Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

2015 Top-of-Draft Standings

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Knicks lost (bad): The Knicks were destroyed by the Kings 124-86, putting them a a half game up on the Sixers in the race for the most ping pong balls.
• Lakers lost (bad): The Lakers lost a one point game to the Hornets, falling 104-103, dropping the Lakers to 3.5 games back of the idle Sixers.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th):

• Lakers lost (bad): The Lakers falling 1 point short against Charlotte was a real lost opportunity. The Lakers remain 3 wins behind Orlando for the 5th slot and are now 5 wins behind both Denver and Sacramento for 6th.
• Denver won (bad): Denver beat the now-struggling Bucks, who have lost 3 in a row. The win puts that coveted 6th slot closer to being out of reach, with the Nuggets 5 wins over the Lakers with 23 games remaining.
• Sacramento won (bad): Another bad outcome for that Lakers pick, although this was largely a scheduling win. The Kings beating the Knicks wasn’t all that surprising, but by 38? Ouch, New York. Ouch.

Miami pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):

• Boston lost (good): The loss drops Boston, currently in the 9th slot, to 23-35, 3 wins behind Miami.
• Jazz won (bad): Add another team to the ridiculously long list of teams to watch for the Miami pick. The Jazz have now won 3 in a row and 7 of their last 10, putting them in the 10th slot and at 24 wins. They’re a real threat to pass Miami, which becomes a problem if Miami misses the playoffs and are passed by enough teams to push them into the top 10.
• Charlotte won (good): Again, this is all fluid. With how tight this section of the standings has become, there might come a point where Charlotte winning is bad and Utah winning is good. The Charlotte win puts them at 25-33 and 1 win behind Miami. To point out how close all of this is: Charlotte (25-33) is 12th and in the lottery, while Miami (26-33) is 16th and in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• Milwaukee lost (good): Milwaukee’s losing streak puts more room between them (32-28, 17th) and Oklahoma City (33-27, 18th). I don’t worry too much about Milwaukee passing OKC, but losses are good nonetheless.
• Washington lost (good): Washington fell to Chicago, and are now only a half-game (1 win) ahead of OKC for the 19th spot, at which point the Sixers would get that pick. The flip-side: it now becomes more important for Washington to continue to stumble, as it puts the Bulls 5 wins up on OKC.

Tonight’s games:

• Sixers @ OKC: Huge game, both for the Sixers pick and the OKC pick. Kevin Durant will not be playing, and there is no word yet on Russell Westbrook’s status.
• Knicks @ Pacers: A Knicks win would be good on two fronts, as it would help the Sixers pick plus also help Indy pass Miami. I wouldn’t count on it, though.
• Phoenix @ Orlando: A Phoenix win helps the Lakers pick.
• Utah @ Boston: Classic win-win. Two teams playing better of late who could theoretically pass Miami and push that pick into the top-10, so at least one of them will lose.
• Charlotte @ Brooklyn: Another win-win, as either team winning pushes them closer to passing Miami.
• Detroit @ New Orleans: You want New Orleans to lose, as it keeps them further from knocking OKC out of the playoffs. Detroit shouldn’t be too much of a factor, as I’m not sure I see them being good enough to pass Miami (bad outcome) or bad enough that the Lakers could catch them (good outcome).
• Lakers @ Miami: Really pull for a Lakers win here, as it would help the Sixers pick, help the Lakers pick, and (potentially) help the Heat pick.
• Denver @ Minnesota: Pulling hard for the Wolves here. A Wolves win helps the Sixers pick and also helps keep hope alive for the Lakers pick, as Denver currently sits 6th.
• Sacramento @ San Antonio: Rooting for the Spurs, as Sacramento is 7th, a (long shot) possibility of being passed by the Lakers. Sacramento is playing on the road, on a back-to-back, against a superior opponent, so this should be money in the bank.
• Milwaukee @ Golden State: Milwaukee losses help the OKC pick. Again, back to back, on the road, against a superior opponent, should be an easy win for Golden State.

Overview:

Sixers Draft Pick Tracker

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Sixers lost (good): The Sixers lost to the Raptors, 114-103. The loss puts the Sixers in a tie (although the Knicks have one less win and a worse winning percentage) with the idle Knicks for the worst record in the league.
• Wolves lost (bad): Minnesota played the Clippers close, but lost 110-105, which is now their 3rd loss in a row. The Sixers and the Wolves are tied in the win column, with the Sixers having one more loss.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th):

• Wolves lost (good): The Wolves losing is bad for the Sixers pick, but good for the Lakers not moving up any more, as moving up to the 3rd worst record would just about kill any chance of the pick falling out of the top 5 (there’s a 4% chance that the Sixers would get it if the Lakers finished with the 3rd worst record). Lakers are now 3.5 games behind Minnesota.
• Lakers, Orlando, Sacramento, and Denver were all off, so not much movement there.

Miami pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):

• Miami won (bad?): The win puts Miami a win up on Brooklyn and Indiana, 2 wins up on Charlotte, and 3 up on Detroit and Boston.
• Brooklyn won (good): The Nets had a surprising win over Golden State to keep pace with Miami, who I’m hoping they pass.

Oklahoma City pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• New Orleans lost (good): New Orleans passing OKC would put the Thunder in the lottery, so their loss is good. OKC is now a full game up on the Pelicans.
• No other real movement here, as OKC, Milwaukee, Washington, and Chicago all had the night off.

Tonight’s games:

• Boston @ Cleveland: Boston is currently 10th, and them passing Miami would be bad.
• Sacramento @ Knicks: Any Knicks win is a good win, and a Sacramento loss could pull them closer to the Lakers.
• Lakers @ Charlotte: A Charlotte win would put them closer to passing Miami, but a Lakers win pulls them away from Minnesota and closer to the Orlando / Sacramento / Denver grouping.
• Wizards @ Bulls: A loss by either of these teams would pull them closer to OKC, and OKC just has to pass one of them to convey the pick to the Sixers. That being said, OKC is only 1 game behind Washington, whereas they are 4 behind Chicago, so probably pull for Chicago here.
• Milwaukee @ Denver: Either scenario would work in the Sixers favor here. A Nuggets win would pull Milwaukee away from OKC, as Milwaukee is currently 17th, and the Sixers don’t want them to pass OKC. A Bucks win pushes Denver closer to the Lakers. The Lakers pick is a better pick, but OKC pick more likely to happen. Still, I think OKC finishes with a better record than Milwaukee regardless of what happens in this game, so I say go Milwaukee.

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Sixers lost (good): The Sixers looked dreadful in their 94-74 loss to the Pacers. With NYK and Minnesota idle, it puts the Sixers back into the second slot, only 1 win away from the Knicks, who have won 2 in a row.
• Lakers lost (bad): The Lakers fell to the Thunder, who were playing without Durant and Westbrook. The Sixers are still 3.5 up on the Lakers and 3 games up in the win column, but the Lakershow had the chance to pick up a game on all of Orlando, Sacramento, and Denver, and put themselves one game further away from the Sixers, which would have been amazing. Shame the Lakers couldn’t pull that one out.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th):

• Lakers lost (bad): As mentioned above, the Lakers had a chance, against an injury depleted team, to pick up games on Orlando, Sacramento, and Denver in their magical run for the 6th slot.
• Orlando lost (good): At the very least, Orlando lost, keeping them with 3 more wins than the Lakers for the 5th slot.
• Sacramento lost (good): Same thing with Sacramento losing. The Lakers couldn’t pick up a game, but at least they didn’t lose one, either. Sacramento is in the 7th slot and 4 wins up on the Lakers.
• Denver lost (good): Same thing with Denver, who fell to the Pelicans. At 20 wins, Denver remains 4 wins up on the Lakers in the 6th slot.

Miami pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):

• I legitimately have no idea how to mark these anymore. There are 6 teams (plus Miami) that are between 23 and 25 wins. The Sixers need 3 of them to pass the Heat. I don’t care which 3. Any 3, really. Just not 4.
• Boston lost (good?): Boston is currently 10th at 23 wins, so we don’t want them passing Miami, but this could change. Interpret these results as you see fit.
• Charlotte won (good?): Charlotte is currently 11th with 24 wins, one less than Miami. I suppose we want them to pass Miami.
• Indiana won (good): Indiana beat the Sixers, putting them at 25 wins, 0.5 games behind Miami for the 16th slot.

Oklahoma City pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• Oklahoma City won (good): OKC winning was bad for the Lakers pick, but good for their own pick, which now sits at 18th, a game behind idle Washington.
• New Orleans won (bad): New Orleans beat Denver, which is probably good overall (keeps Denver closing to the Lakers), but bad for the OKC pick. At 32-27, the Pelicans are a half-game away from knocking OKC out of the playoffs, which means the Sixers wouldn’t get the pick.
• Chicago lost (good): Chicago lost to the Clippers, and are now only 4 wins up on OKC. With OKC (hopefully) getting healthy, and the Bulls without Rose for the foreseeable future, they’re probably the best backup plan in case the Thunder aren’t able to catch the Wizards for the 19th spot.

Tonight’s games:

• Toronto @ Philadelphia: Go Raptors (impacts Sixers pick)
• Phoenix @ Miami: Go Suns (impacts Miami pick)
• Golden State @ Brooklyn: Go Nets (impacts Miami pick)
• Clippers @ Minnesota: Go Wolves (impacts Sixers pick)
• New Orleans @ Dallas: Go Mavs (impacts OKC pick)

Sixers pick (currently 3rd):

• New York won (good):
• Minnesota lost (bad):

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th):

• Really nothing happened here. LAL (who are on a three game winning streak) were off, as were Orlando, Denver, and Sacramento. New York won (which would be bad for LAL pick) and Minny lost (which would be good), but both impact the Sixers pick, which is more important, so I put them in that category.

Miami pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):

• Brooklyn won (good): The Brooklyn win puts the Nets 1 win away from passing Miami, which would drop Miami down to the 15th slot.
• Detroit lost (bad?): I’m not entirely sure where to classify this. Detroit was one of the teams I was counting on to pass Miami, but they’ve now lost 3 games in a row and, at 23-36, have 2 less wins and 3 more losses than Miami, and currently sit 8th. Boston, winners of 3 in a row, are now between Miami and the 10th spot, rather than Detroit.
• Not a lot else happened, as Charlotte, Boston, and Indy were all off.

Oklahoma City pick (top 18 protected, currently 17th):

• Wizards won (bad): The Wizards finally stopped their skid, beating Detroit 99-95. The return of Bradley Beal should help them get back on track, and make OKC’s quest for the 19th slot just a little bit tougher. With the win, Washington is 2 wins ahead of OKC.
• Milwaukee lost (good): Milwaukee fell to Utah and have now lost 2 in a row. The loss puts Milwaukee at 32-27, tied with OKC.
• San Antonio won (good): This can be argued either good or bad. As long as OKC passes Washington, you want San Antonio to win. But if Washington goes on a hot streak, or OKC falters down the stretch, you want as many options as you can get. With Derrick Rose’s injury, San Antonio struggling down the stretch shouldn’t be necessary.
• Toronto lost (bad?): Similar situation to San Antonio. Toronto shouldn’t be necessary, but they’ve now lost 5 in a row to put them 5 wins ahead of OKC and make them a (slight) possibility.

Tonight’s games:

• LAC @ Chicago: I’m going to hope Chicago loses, as I suppose I want one more team to stay around OKC as a backup plan in case Washington goes on a run, and I think Chicago is the most likely, even though they play in the Eastern Conference.
• Charlotte @ Orlando: A Charlotte win could push them to within a win of Miami, and also give the Lakers the chance to make up a game on Orlando for the 5th spot. The Lakers are miraculously on a 3 game winning streak and only 3 wins behind Orlando for the 5th spot.
• Portland @ Sacramento: A Sacramento loss keeps them, at worst, within 4 wins or the Lakers. The Lakers passing two of Denver, Sacramento and Orlando would slide the Lakers to 6th spot.
• OKC @ LAL: Tough one, as either outcome could be good for the Sixers. OKC could be without Durant and Westbrook, so picking up a win would be a huge schedule win for a team the Sixers are hoping passes Washington. That being said, if your’e a gambling man, another Lakers victory keeps the dream alive.
• New Orleans @ Denver: New Orleans passing OKC would be worst case scenario, as it would bump OKC into the lottery and take away any chance the Sixers have of getting that pick, and they’re only 1 win behind OKC at the moment. But I can’t see it happening. A Denver loss, if the Lakers win as well, could pull the Lakers to within 3 wins of the 6th-slotted Nuggets, amazingly.

12 games last night, with a lot of impact on the Sixers potential 1st round draft picks.

Sixers pick (currently 2nd):

• Sixers lost (good): There’s a part of me that would have enjoyed the Sixers beating the Bucks. But, ultimately, there’s only 26 games left, and every loss is important. The Sixers loss, combined with the Lakers and Minnesota winning, really helps the Sixers quest for the #2 slot.
• Lakers won (good): The Lakers are, surprisingly, on a 2 game winning streak, thanks to a 100-97 win over Utah. Both of the Lakers last 2 wins have come right down to the wire, 2 wins that could prove crucial come May. With the win and the Sixers loss, the Lakers now have 3 more wins than the Sixers and are 3.5 games back overall.
• Minnesota won (good): The first game in the KG-has-returned-era turned out to be a smashing success, with a 97-77 win over the Wizards, which not only helped the Sixers pick but also the OKC pick as well. The win gives the Wolves 13 wins to the Sixers 12, and puts the Sixers in a good spot now that Minnesota is finally healthy and playing pretty decent basketball.

Lakers pick (top 5 protected, currently 4th):

• Lakers won (good): If the Lakers stay at the 4th slot, the Sixers have ~17% chance of getting the pick this year. Not only is that not a good chance, but it also means that if that 17% chance comes to fruition that 2 teams below the Lakers would have jumped into the top 3, which could spell bad news for the Sixers own draft pick. In order to really feel good about getting the Lakers pick, the Sixers are going to need the Lakers to go in a real winning streak here. Having won 2 in a row is about as good as one could have hoped for post-deadline. It’s still an absolute long shot, but every miracle needs a starting point to its story.
• (BTW, with the depth of this draft 2-6, and the uncertainty of the Lakers possibly improving this offseason, I do think it would be beneficial for the Sixers to get the pick this year).
• Orlando lost (good): Orlando currently sits 5th. If the Lakers pick remains in the 4th slot, the Sixers will only have ~17% chance of getting it, but if the Lakers somehow drop to the 5h slot that jumps all the way up to 45%. It’s still a long shot — the Lakers have 4 less wins than the Magic — but picking up a full game represents a good night.
• Sacramento won (bad): The Kings have 5 more wins than the Lakers, and again represent an incredible long shot. But you want the Kings to lose, as the more teams that get closer to the Lakers the better, not just because there’s a better chance of 1 out of 3 teams falling off of a cliff to end the season than relying on just 1 to do so, but also because 2 teams passing the Lakers would be absolute best case scenario.
• Denver lost (good): The loss puts Denver at 20-37, 5 wins up on the Lakers and 4.5 games up overall. Another long shot, but losing against a struggling Phoenix team helps.
• Utah lost (good): Utah is at 21-35, 6 wins up on the Lakers and 6 games up overall.
• Boston won (bad): A Boston loss is about the only blemish on the night, as them finding a way to lose to the Knicks would have helped the Sixers pick, and also pulled them one game closer to the Lakers. Boston sits at 22-33, 8 wins up on the Lakers and 7.5 games up overall.

Miami’s pick (top 10 protected, currently 16th):

• Miami won (good?): Miami beat Orlando. Again, want 3 of Detroit, Indy, Charlotte, and Brooklyn to pass them. If Miami lost this game — and it took them OT to beat Orlando — I would have been concerned about all 4 passing the Heat. Miami’s now won 2 in a row, but I’m not convinced that they’ll finish out the season well. The win does give them 2 wins more than all of Detroit, Indy, Charlotte, and Brooklyn, though.
• Charlotte won (bad?): I’m kind of counting on one of Charlotte or Brooklyn to collapse and not pass Miami, so I’m classifying this one in the bad category, although if one of Detroit, Indy, or Brooklyn end up not passing Miami it could very well end up being a positive outcome. Charlotte is now 2 wins back of Miami in the win column and 1.5 games back overall.

Thunder’s pick (top 18 protected, currently 18th):

• Washington lost (good): Washington has now lost 5 in a row, and at 33-25 sits only a half game up on the idle Oklahoma City Thunder (32-25) for the 19th slot. With the Thunder on a 7 game winning streak and the Wiz on a 5 game skid, it seems like only a matter of time before OKC slides into that 19th spot, which means the Sixers would get the pick this season.
• Milwaukee won (bad): The Milwaukee win was good for the Sixers own pick, which is the more important pick for the Sixers future, but it does slightly hurt the OKC pick, as it puts Milwaukee back in a tie with OKC for the 18th pick. Still, between the two teams, I’d bet on OKC finishing with a better record down the stretch.
• San Antonio lost (bad): I’m putting this in the bad category because I want the OKC pick to be at #19, not #20. The loss puts the Spurs, who have lost 4 in a row, only 1 win up on the Thunder and 2 games up overall. That being said, if the Thunder don’t pass one of Milwaukee or Washington, this could end up being a good thing.
• Chicago lost (bad): Similar situation to the Spurs in that it could be good, I just don’t want the Thunder to pass too many people. The Bulls do have 4 wins more than the Thunder, which would seem tough to overcome, but with Rose out this could come down to the wire.
• New Orleans won (bad): I suppose I should list this in the interest of full disclosure, as the Pelicans passing the Thunder (and knocking the Thunder out of the playoffs) would obviously be bad. N.O. has won 3 straight and sits at 30-27, 2 wins behind OKC. I don’t see it happening, but it’s something to watch going forward.

Tonight’s games:

• OKC @ Phoenix: A win could pull the Thunder to a tie with Washington for the 19th spot. Phoenix is only 2-8 in their last 10, and struggling.