It’s been nearly a decade since either the Portland Trail Blazers or their fans had cause to pay much attention to the Draft Lottery. Having made the playoffs in eight-straight seasons before an unceremonious end to the 2021-22 campaign, there just hasn’t been much motivation other than general curiosity to keep close tabs on the NBA’s version of playing the numbers.
In fact, the Trail Blazers have only had their hopes and dreams defined by numbered balls in a hopper seven times since the first iteration of the Draft Lottery back in 1985, which makes sense considering they’ve only missed the postseason 15 times in franchise history.