TOM CANAVAN
SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — Winning the NBA draft lottery a year ago turned the Cleveland Cavaliers from the league's worst team into one of its most exciting.
The correct combination of pingpong balls gave the Cavaliers the first pick overall in the draft and a no-brainer of a decision - taking LeBron James at No. 1.
A year later, the lottery is neither as exciting or certain.
When the first pick in this year's draft is determined on Wednesday night, the winner will not be faced with an obvious choice.
Connecticut center Emeka Okafor and Atlanta high school star Dwight Howard have been mentioned prominently as possible top picks, but each has drawbacks.
Okafor has battled a back problem and Howard is like any youngster - one never knows.
"There is going to be a lot of work to be done with so many underclassmen," said Ryan Blake of Marty Blake and Associates, a scouting service affiliated with the NBA. "You have to determine the upside on all of them."
The Orlando Magic (21-61) have the best chance to win the lottery with 250 chances out of 1,000.
Chicago has the second best shot with 200 chances followed by Washington (157), the Clippers (105), Atlanta (104), Phoenix (64), Toronto (37), Philadelphia (36), Cleveland (18), Golden State (9), Seattle (9), Portland (6) and Utah (5).
The lottery will determine picks 1-3. The expansion Charlotte Bobcats will have the fourth pick in the draft. The remaining lottery teams will pick in positions 5 through 14 in inverse order of their regular-season records.
Having the best chance to win the lottery rarely guarantees the top pick.
Cleveland was an exception last year. Prior to that, the last team to win the lottery with the worst record was the New Jersey Nets in 1990.
The last team to win the lottery in consecutive years was Orlando in 1992-93, when the Magic took Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber.
Pat Williams represented the Magic at those two drafts and he will do it again this year.
Williams doesn't intend to bring any good luck charms, but he said he might wear the same clothes as he did a decade ago.
"It sure would be a nice lift for our franchise if we come away with a win here," Williams said. "I think it would give us all a jolt of encouragement. From October to April, that is a long ride we went through."
Williams said it's amazing what James did for the Cavaliers coming right out of high school.
"It is staggering to me to see this euphoria that hovers over northern Ohio," Williams said. "Keep in mind a year ago that franchise was on its death bed. You talk about a franchise on life support. Were they even going to make it? There would be no hope at all, and one pingpong ball regenerated an entire region."
A record 94 players have applied for early entry into this year's draft, 21 more than last year.
The lottery will be televised live by ESPN from 8-8:30 p.m., prior to the start of Game 3 of the Detroit-Indiana Eastern Conference final.
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