NBA Lottery Watch

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By Mike Jones

Oklahoma's Blake Griffin on Tuesday declared his intention to enter the NBA Draft, and it's no secret: He's the consensus No. 1 pick, no matter who else declares. Spain's Ricky Rubio is believed to be the No. 2 pick even though he has a large buyout.

But after that the talent drops off significantly.

Teams are lukewarm on the crop of project players, and insiders believe there could be some draft-day trades as teams move down rather than risk selecting questionable talent so high. Teams like the Washington Wizards believe if they don't get the first or second pick in the draft, they could better upgrade their roster by dealing their pick for a proven veteran.

Griffin could be the closest thing to a can't-miss prospect in this draft. The 6-foot-10 forward led the Sooners to a 30-6 season, averaging 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds.

Here's our weekly look at the "top" five teams in the NBA lottery mix; the ping pong balls get pulled on May 19.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

Team Record, Pct.*

Sacramento, 16-60, 25.0

Washington, 18-60, 19.9

L.A. Clippers, 18-59, 15.6

Oklahoma, 21-55, 11.9

Minnesota, 22-55, 8.8

* chances of landing No. 1 pick