A simulation exercise preceding the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) annual player selection event, created to predict which eligible players will be chosen by each team and in what order. These projections, often published by sports analysts and media outlets, are built upon player performance data, team needs, and insider information gathered leading up to the actual draft. As an example, a particular projection might have Anthony Davis being selected first overall by the New Orleans Hornets in the aforementioned year.
These predictive exercises offer several benefits. For fans, they provide a framework for understanding the pool of incoming talent and gauging how their favorite team might improve. For teams, they serve as one of many evaluation tools, influencing strategy and decision-making on draft night, though actual team scouting and evaluation processes are far more complex. Furthermore, historical simulations offer a retrospective lens through which to analyze the accuracy of pre-draft evaluations and the success of player selections made at the time.
