Some quick facts involving tonight’s NBA draft lottery in Secaucus, N.J. Make sure to keep checking FOXSportsOhio.com all night for continuing lottery coverage.
* Each of the 14 lottery teams are assigned random combinations by a computer. There are 1,000 different combinations.
* Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered one through 14 are placed into a drum. Four of those balls are drawn out. Whichever team’s assigned combination matches those four drawn-out balls wins the lottery. This process is repeated to determine the top three picks. The rest are determined in order of final regular-season record.
* Since Minnesota finished with the worst regular-season record, it will have the most four-number combinations assigned to it: 250. The Cavaliers will have 199 different combinations with their own pick, and 28 more with the pick obtained from the L.A. Clippers.
* The lottery procedure will take place in a room separate from the national broadcast studio. League officials and an executive from each team will be present, as will representatives from the accounting firm Ernst & Young.
* According to InsideHoops.com: “Following the drawing, team logo cards will be inserted into envelopes marked 1 through 14 by an Ernst & Young representative. These envelopes will be sealed and brought on-stage, where the announcement of the lottery results will be made by NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver. A second representative from each participating team will be seated on-stage. Neither the deputy commissioner nor the team representatives will be informed of the lottery results prior to the opening of the envelopes.”
* The Cavaliers will represented by team vice-chairman Jeff Cohen in the lottery room. Nick Gilbert, the son of owner Dan Gilbert, will be in the studio room. Dan Gilbert will be seated in the studio audience.
* The Cavs have a 19.9 percent chance to win the lottery with their own pick (next to Minnesota’s 25 percent). They have an 18.8 percent chance of drafting second and 17.1 chance to finish third. This changes a little, obviously, with the Clippers’ pick -- just don’t ask me how.
* Finally, the Cavs are hosting a lottery party at 7 p.m. at Cadillac Ranch, 200 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Team broadcasters Fred McLeod, Austin Carr and Campy Russell will be in attendance. Also, general manager Chris Grant, who is remaining in Cleveland, will address the media following the lottery.
