2012 NBA Draft Lottery: New Orleans Hornets Steal No. 1 Pick

As the New York Knicks know first hand, anything can happen in the NBA’s draft lottery.

Apr 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Anthony Davis waves to the crowd after cutting down a piece of the net after the finals of the 2012 NCAA men

That was the case Wednesday night when the New Orleans Hornets stole the No. 1 overall pick away from the Charlotte bobcats and won the right to draft Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis.

The Hornets moved up from the fourth spot, where they had a 13.7 percent chance, to earn the pick.

You have to feel bad for Michael Jordan and the Bobcats as 2012 has been a season of one loss after another and this was no exception. The Bobcats fall to the No. 2 pick, but they no longer are in position to land the game-changer they need in Davis.

For the Hornets, they have a new owner in Tom Benson and things have started out good in the Benson era as they land a new superstar.

No other team moved up in the draft, but the Hornets weren’t the only winners as Portland and Golden State have the No. 6 and No. 7 picks respectively so each team gets to keep that pick instead of losing it to Brooklyn and Utah.

Complete Draft Order

1. New Orleans Hornets

2. Charlotte Bobcats

3. Washington Wizards

4. Cleveland Cavaliers

5. Sacramento Kings

6. Portland Trail Blazers (via Brooklyn Nets)

7. Golden State Warriors

8. Toronto Raptors

9. Detroit Pistons

10. New Orleans Hornets (via Minnesota Timberwolves)

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Milwaukee Bucks

13. Phoenix Suns

14. Houston Rockets

15. Philadelphia 76ers

16. Houston Rockets (via New York Knicks)

17. Dallas Mavericks

18. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah Jazz)

19. Orlando Magic

20. Denver Nuggets

21. Boston Celtics

22. Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers)

23. Atlanta Hawks

24. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Los Angeles Lakers)

25. Memphis Grizzlies

26. Indiana Pacers

27. Miami Heat

28. Oklahoma City Thunder

29. Chicago Bulls

30. Golden State Warriors (via San Antonio Spurs) 

Second Round

31. Charlotte Bobcats

32. Washington Wizards

33. Cleveland Cavaliers

34. Cleveland Cavaliers (via New Orleans Hornets)

35. Golden State Warriors (via Brooklyn Nets)

36. Sacramento Kings

37. Toronto Raptors

38. Denver Nuggets (via New York Knicks)

39. Detroit Pistons

40. Portland Trail Blazers (via Houston Rockets)

41. Portland Trail Blazers

42. Milwaukee Bucks

43. Atlanta Hawks (via Phoenix Suns)

44. Detroit Pistons (via Houston Rockets)

45. Philadelphia 76ers

46. Washington Wizards (via Dallas Mavericks)

47. Utah Jazz

48. New York Knicks

49. Orlando Magic

50. Denver Nuggets

51. Boston Celtics

52. Golden State Warriors (via New Jersey Nets)

53. Los Angeles Clippers

54. Philadelphia 76ers (via Memphis Grizzlies) 

55. Dallas Mavericks (via Los Angeles Lakers)

56. Toronto Raptors

57. New Jersey Nets (via Miami Heat)

58. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Oklahoma City Thunder)

59. San Antonio Spurs

60. Los Angeles Lakers (via Chicago Bulls)