While teams battle it out in the NBA postseason, 14 are waiting patiently for the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery in just over a week. On Monday, May 12, the ping pong b

Since 1985, the NBA has used a lottery-style process to determine the first several picks of the league's annual draft. Since the 2019 NBA draft, the format has ensured that the team that finished the regular season with the worst record receives no lower than the fifth pick in that summer's draft.

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and it’s putting a spotlight on the types of players teams need to win in the postseason. There’s a marked change in the way the game is played and officiated from the regular season to the playoffs, and it can help inform which prospects should be valued as the 2025 NBA Draft approaches.