The Pacers are most likely out of the play-in tournament (more on that later). And because of this, Pacers fans are in a bit of a dilemma.
Who should you be rooting for tonight to better draft odds? Keep in mind, this can get more complex because we have multiple first-round picks and these teams might be playing for each other from night to night. So if you are looking for guidance on what games to watch and who to be hopeful for a win, you’ve come to the right place.
Some of these are easy answers:
Trailblazers vs. Timberwolves
The Blazers are one and a half games ahead of the Pacers for the 5th pick in the draft. The moral of the story: be rooting for the Blazers to somehow get a win against a much better Minnesota team.
Wizards vs. Knicks
The Knicks could still get better playoff position, so they will be motivated to win. However, Pacers fans should be hopeful that Washington pulls of the upset as they are only half a game behind the Pacers for the 7th pick in the draft.
Magic vs Pistons
This is a really intriguing matchup. On one side, if the Pistons win, the Pacers more likely will have a high second-round pick from Houston. If the Magic win, the Pacers move up a position in the projected drafting order. We think you should probably root for the Magic in this case.
Pacers vs Cavaliers
Obviously, the majority of fans are probably hopeful for a Cavs win, although it can get a bit tricky. We don’t want the Cavs to win too many games and drop our second first-round pick too far, but the payoff of a Pacers loss in the draft order is probably the better of the two.
Did we get any wrong? What are you hopeful for in the upcoming draft? Let us know in the comments below.