2022 NBA draft lottery race: April 9 update for Rockets, Nets picks

As owners of the NBA’s worst record, the Houston Rockets were eliminated from playoff contention a while ago. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to watch for in the final weekend of the 2021-22 season.

From now until the regular season’s conclusion on Sunday, April 10, we’re updating where the Rockets stand in relation to their closest competitors in the race for 2022 NBA draft lottery odds and positioning.

Houston owns two picks in this year’s first round: Their own, and another from Brooklyn. For purposes of these daily standings updates, we’re focusing on teams who can mathematically catch (or be caught by) the Rockets and Nets in the limited amount of games left.

After a second straight season at the bottom of the West, will the Rockets land another elite prospect such as Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero for their troubles? Scroll on for the latest updates as of April 9, along with information on odds and tiebreaker scenarios.

Friday’s most relevant games (April 8)

It is beneficial to the eventual landing spot of both picks for teams in proximity to Houston and Brooklyn in the standings to win. The reverse is true when it comes to each team’s results, since the best-case outcomes for draft odds and slots arise from having a worse record.

With that in mind, here are the teams to focus on, as of April 9.

Teams within one game of Houston: Orlando Magic

Teams within one game of Brooklyn: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers

Friday’s games involving any of those teams:

• Nets 118, Cavaliers 107

• Raptors 117, Rockets 115

• Heat 113, Hawks 109

• Hornets 133, Bulls 117

(NBA scores)

Saturday and Sunday’s most relevant games (April 9, 10)

Teams within two games of Houston: Orlando Magic

Teams within two games of Brooklyn: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers

Saturday’s games involving any of those teams:

• none

Sunday’s games involving any of those teams:

• Hawks at Rockets (2:30 p.m. CDT tipoff)

• Pacers at Nets (2:30 p.m. CDT)

• Wizards at Hornets (2:30 p.m. CDT)

• Bucks at Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. CDT)

• Heat at Magic (6:00 p.m. CDT)

(NBA scores)

Updated April 9 standings for Houston’s pick

Houston’s current draft placement plus teams within one game:

• 1. Houston, 20-61

• 2. Orlando, 21-60

With Houston’s loss at Toronto, the Rockets clinched at least a tie for the No. 1 positioning slot entering the 2022 NBA draft lottery. They would clinch it outright with a loss in Sunday’s finale versus Atlanta.

What happens if the Rockets and Magic finish tied? More on that later.

Updated April 9 standings for Brooklyn’s pick

Brooklyn’s current draft placement plus teams within one game:

• 13. Atlanta (lottery), 42-39

• 14. Charlotte (lottery), 42-39

• 16. Cleveland, 43-38

• 17. Brooklyn, 43-38

Brooklyn’s come-from-behind victory over Cleveland moves them into the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference (with the tiebreaker), which drops their pick to No. 17 in the first-round order. Fortunately for the Rockets, it cannot fall any further than that, unless Minnesota loses twice in the West play-in tournament and fails to make the playoffs.

Draft lottery odds, without ties

This chart applies to Houston’s pick, as well as Brooklyn’s if it misses the Eastern Conference playoffs. The NBA’s current lottery system involving the 14 non-playoff teams draws for the first four picks by weighted odds (with the worst teams having better odds), and the 10 teams who are not drawn are then slotted by record from No. 5 to No. 14.

Note that while the top-four odds are identical for the bottom-three teams, there is a significant difference when it comes to floor scenarios. The team with the worst record cannot fall below No. 5 overall. The team with the third-worst record can drop to the No. 7 pick.

(via Tankathon)

Frequently asked questions

What happens if there is a tie? If Houston and Orlando end up tied at No. 1, they would each have the same draft lottery odds, since each of the league’s three worst teams has identical probabilities for a top-four spot. However, a coin flip would be done to determine the higher team (i.e. No. 5 or No. 6) in the event that neither wins a top-four spot.

What happens if Brooklyn goes on a deep playoff run out of a low seed? This is a fair question, since part of Brooklyn’s underwhelming season is due to widespread injuries, along with only having Kyrie Irving as a part-time player for much of the year due to New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Many of these problems have recently been resolved, making the Nets more dangerous than their record suggests.

However, unlike the NFL, results in the playoffs cannot change a team’s draft spot in the NBA. Even if the Nets were to somehow win the NBA championship out of the No. 8 seed, their draft pick (headed to Houston) would be solely based on their regular-season record.

Remaining strength of schedule, as of April 9

Having a top strength-of-schedule number means that particular team has a harder remaining schedule, which on paper suggests that they are more likely to lose games. If that occurs, it could lead to superior draft positioning in a race with competitors who have easier schedules.

Rockets and teams within one game:

• Houston: No. 15 in the NBA

• Orlando: No. 3

Nets and teams within one game:

• Charlotte: No. 21

• Atlanta: No. 30

• Brooklyn: No. 27

• Cleveland: No. 6

(via Tankathon)

Final game for Rockets, Nets in 2021-22 regular season

• Houston: Atlanta (home, 4/10)

• Brooklyn: Indiana (home, 4/10)

This post originally appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire