NEW YORK — After the worst season in NBA history, the Charlotte Bobcats could use a player such as Anthony Davis.
Unfortunately for Michael Jordan’s team, it’s been a long time since lottery luck shined on the team needing it most.
The Bobcats hope that trend ends tonight, when they have the best odds of earning the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft. Charlotte has a 25 percent chance of victory, the reward for its 7-59 record that was the lowest winning percentage (.106) in league history.
Davis is the college player of the year after leading Kentucky to the national championship. He is considered the top prize available.
Not since 2004, when the Orlando Magic drafted Dwight Howard, has the team with the worst record won the lottery. Minnesota dropped a spot to second last year, when the Cleveland Cavaliers moved up with a pick owed to them by the Los Angeles Clippers and took Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving.
The Washington Wizards have a 19.9 percent chance of picking first, while Cleveland (13.8 percent) and New Orleans (13.7) have the next-best chances.
Sports, Pages 24 on 05/30/2012