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NBA Draft 2020: 3 biggest storylines regarding upcoming draft lottery

By Tristan Freeman

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: The first round draft board is seen during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: The first round draft board is seen during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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NBA Draft
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

The 2020 NBA Draft lottery is fast approaching. What are some key storylines to watch based on the potential results of the ping pong balls?

Just thinking about how bizarre the year 2020 has been, we still haven’t even had the NBA Draft yet. With the pandemic and subsequent delays, the season has only recently started up, now in the first round of the postseason. Of course, everything else has pushed back as well, including both the draft and even the lottery itself.

There still were regular-season games that had to be completed in the bubble to determine who the 16 playoff teams were going to be. The action mainly occurred at the bottom of the western conference standings, with Memphis fighting to hold onto the eight seed as they were likely to face someone else in a “play-in” game or two.

While San Antonio and Phoenix (who went 8-0 in the bubble) made a great run, it came down to the Grizzlies and Portland Trailblazers for the final spot. Damian Lillard and company were too much for Ja Morant and the young squad, sending Memphis to be part of the lottery. There were eight others who cemented their respective spots in the lottery by virtue of not being invited to the bubble due to their poor overall records.

Just as the games in the bubble have been entertaining, the lottery itself will be just as fun. Thanks to the revision of the odds of landing a top pick, it’s completely up in the air as to where each team will land. New Orleans going from 7th in the standings all the way to No. 1 in the Zion Williamson sweepstakes over New York or Los Angeles created a domino effect that changed the landscape of the NBA.

Could the same thing happen in the 2020 NBA Draft lottery? Depends on how things work out. Here’s a look at five specific storylines I’m watching for regarding the 14 teams taking part in a potentially franchise-altering event.

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