For the second year in a row, the Detroit Pistons missed the NBA playoffs. Instead of spending the next couple months competing for a title, they will be stuck waiting around for the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery, which is set to take place on May 17.
The Pistons finished with the NBA's seventh-worst record during the 2010-11 season. This means the odds of them landing the No. 1 overall pick in the lottery are only 4.3 percent. Their chances of landing one of the top three picks are 15.0 percent. Via SBNation.com, here is a full breakdown of the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery odds (note: only the top three picks are decided by the lottery; the others are based on record):
| Team | No. 1 Pick | Top 3 Pick |
| Timberwolves | 25.0% | 64.3% |
| Cavaliers | 19.9% | 55.8% |
| Raptors | 15.6% | 46.9% |
| Wizards | 11.9% | 37.8% |
| Jazz (from Nets) | 7.6% | 25.4% |
| Kings | 7.5% | 25.3% |
| Pistons | 4.3% | 15.0% |
| Cavaliers (from Clippers) | 2.8% | 10.0% |
| Bobcats | 1.7% | 6.1% |
| Bucks | 1.1% | 4.0% |
| Warriors | 0.8% | 2.9% |
| Jazz | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Suns | 0.6% | 2.2% |
| Rockets | 0.5% | 1.8% |
The Pistons also finished with the seventh-worst record in the 2009-10 season and ended up picking seventh in the 2010 NBA Draft.