The Indiana Pacers have the fifth-worst record in the NBA, but enter Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery with a 55.6 percent chance of picking after No. 5, a light chance of staying put at No. 5, and a 42.1 percent chance of landing any one of the first four.
That’s because only the top four picks are determined via lottery, and all subsequent picks are awarded based on record. Still, the Pacers are guaranteed to pick no lower than ninth, and even that spot, while disappointing in the wake of a disappointing season, would be rarified air for a franchise that hasn’t selected in single digits since 1989, when they picked George McCloud at No.