As things currently stand now, the Raptors will have the 8th most ping pong balls in the lottery; 8th..some late season theatrics from this squad has put them into a pretty brutal draft situation. The two wins against the Celtics and Hawks, shorthanded and unimaginable as they were, cost the Raptors 91 balls in the lottery. That’s nothing to shake your head at, and lets be honest, this team is not better than the one that finished with 20 wins last season; the lockout condensed schedule has hurt us more than straight wins/losses.
We have the Pistons today, and to frame the importance to our draft position, if the the Raptors win, they will move into 9th spot and own the tie breaker in the event of a tie-record at year end. If they lose, they will give themselves a two game cushion with only two games left in the season for both teams; at least we can secure 8th and hot sink any further.
I’m getting sick to my stomach talking about losing strategies and implications…the Pistons are 3 point favourites at home, which makes this game even for all intents and purposes. Don’t be surprised if folks start getting phantom injuries and sit out for the rest of the season. Game starts at 6pm.