For the first time since 1975, the Atlanta Hawks have the #1 pick

The Hawks haven’t had many instances worth cheering for since moving to Atlanta, but yesterday afternoon was one of the few. The Hawks won the NBA Draft lottery for the first time ever, overcoming the odds with just a 3% chance of landing the #1 overall pick. Below is how the rest of the lottery shook out. 

The Hawks’ 3% chance to win the #1 overall pick was the lowest ever by a lottery winner since the Cleveland Cavaliers won back in 2014. That year, there was a clear direction for the Cavs to go at the top, selecting Kyrie Irving out of Duke, who was the obvious choice.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case this year for the Hawks. There is no Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis,  Victor Wembanyama, or Zion Williamson waiting to be the first pick. Some have even said that this is one of those drafts that is going to get a general manager fired at the top because it’s very possible only a few of the players selected in the top 10 end up turning into significant contributors.

For Hawks fans, that just kind of feels like our luck. We finally get the ping pong balls to fall our way, and it could end up backfiring. With that being said, it’s always better to have the first overall selection than not have it. This opens up a slew of possibilities for Landry Fields, Kyle Korver, and the rest of the front office in what is going to be a pivotal offseason for the future of the franchise.