The Boston Celtics officially have the fifth-best odds at the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft after losing a random draw to break a tiebreaker with the Utah Jazz. Both Boston and Utah finished the season with an identical 25-57 record, which was tied for the fourth-worst record in the league, so the NBA conducted a drawing to break the tie and determine the order of selection.
This means that Boston will have a 10.3 percent chance at the first pick in the draft and a 33.4 percent chance at a top three selection. However, if they don't land a top three pick, their next best possible selection will be fifth.
This is crucial, because they only have a 51.7 percent chance at landing a top five pick as opposed to only a 80.9 percent had they won. In fact, there is a 66.1 percent chance that the Celtics land a pick between fifth and seventh.
If Boston lands in that area, possibilities include Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart, and Indiana's Noah Vonleh. However, don't get too disappointed, because the NBA Draft Lottery doesn't take place until May 20th, which is when the Celtics' actual pick will be determined.
Boston will also receive another first round pick from the Brooklyn Nets, who tied with the Washington Wizards for the 17th and 18th pick. That tie was also broken by random drawing and the Celtics will receive the 17th selection in the draft. The difference is minute, but at least they won something.
For a full explanation on all the percentages, click here to read an in-depth guide detailing all of the possibilities, as outlined by Boston Celtics' Assistant General Manager Mike Zarren and Director of Basketball Analytics David Sparks. They also provided the chart seen above.