How Close did the Wizards get to Landing the #1 Pick?

The Washington Wizards royally whiffed at the NBA Draft Lottery drawing, suffering arguably the unluckiest outcome of the night.

The team entered the live event with a tie for the best chances at the top pick and a guarantee that they couldn't fall any lower than number six, but heard their name called immediately once Deputy NBA Commissioner Mark Tatum crossed that threshold.

They're set to pick at number six on draft night, far from their aspirations at taking home a potential franchise saver with a top-two spot in the order.

As far as six is from the first overall spot, the Wizards were closer to winning the lottery than they may have initially realized.

Ben Golliver of The Washington Post reported that while the Dallas Mavericks rose all the way up to number one with a ping pong ball combination of 10-14-11-7, the Portland Trail Blazers would have won it all if the last ball read "6", while the Wizards would have if it said "1."

In an twisted callback to how narrowly the Wizards came from snatching up Victor Wembanyama two years ago, Washington sees itself lapped by the San Antonio Spurs once again in another lottery result that doesn't go its way.