Tongue-in-cheek, but a must read.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...tery-is-fixed/Why there’s a 100 percent chance the NBA lottery is fixed
Tongue-in-cheek, but a must read.
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.c...tery-is-fixed/Why there’s a 100 percent chance the NBA lottery is fixed
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
Hasn't the fact that the Knicks have only won one playoff series since 1999 shut up the conspiracy theorists?
Variatio delectat - Cicero
I don't think it is fixed every year but I think it has been fixed in the past, ie the year the Knicks got Ewing (dog eared/frozen envelope) and the year the Magic got Penny Hardaway.
When I see the 2016 Reds, I see a 100 loss team and no direction.
Cavs get the no 1 pick again. Magic 2nd, Wizards 3rd.
Nerlens Noel is being discussed for the no 1 pick, which could pay HUGE dividends for the Cavs in the long run instead of an immediate impact.
Dream scenario: Take Noel and wait for him to come back around Christmas. The Cavs will likely still be bad even with Noel progressing along in the second half. Puts them in a good spot for another top 5 pick as well and can continue to build a solid supporting cast to make a run at bringing LeBron back after 2014 when he can opt out. Gives him something he never had when in Cleveland the first time.
PG-Kyrie Irving
SG-Dion Waiters
SF-LeBron James
PF-Julius Randle(?)/Tristan Thompson
C-Nerlens Noel
jmac (05-21-2013)
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
“Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
I'm far from a Cavs fan (can't stand Dan Gilbert actually), but the rumors have been circulating about Cleveland trying to get LeBron back if he opts out of his contract. He would actually have a better nucleus than what he was surrounded with the first time he was there, especially with Kyrie Irving, Nerlens Noel, and likely another top 5 pick in the fold.
This is going to be the weakest draft in a long time. The fact that this years number one overall pick is going to be at least THREE years away from making a major contribution says something, add in that teams are looking at drafting him coming off a torn ACL and basically tanking to get a shot at next years lottery, which is going to be one of the best (Harrison twins, Wiggins, Randle)
I don't really follow the NBA all that much but it seems like every 3-5 years there is a very good top heavy draft but after that its pretty much blah. Don't get me wrong there are consensus #1 picks who are good players, but they are hardly the stars who can change the direction of a franchise. Look at the Cavs, in the past 3 years they will now have had two #1 overall picks and two #4's. You would think a team who had that many high picks could really do some damage. But as you mentioned a team with Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and now Noel will do better than another lottery finish.
Going back to 2010 there have been two players drafted to make an all star game. Maybe the NBA needs to implement a baseball style rule where you can enter the draft right out of HS or spend 3 years in college. Because the way it looks now the only thing the lottery guarantees a team is a hefty contract.
Mock me.... if you will.
Cavs - Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky
Since '09-'10, Anderson Varejao has played in a grand total of 81 games. Is Tyler Zeller really the long term answer?
Ceiling: Alonzo Mourning.
Floor: A healthy Pervis Ellison.
Magic - Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas
Yes, Jameer Nelson isn't getting any younger, but I don't see the Magic drafting Trey Burke at #2.
Wizards - Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown
Local hero fills an obvious need.
Bobcats/Hornets - Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV
The Bobcats need front court scoring more than anything else. A better ball-handling Larry Johnson? It wouldn't surprise me at all.
As I've stated many times, this franchise needs to start swinging for the fences.
Suns - Victor Oladipo, G, Indiana
The Suns desperately need athleticism and defense at the wing positions. Oladipo is a great place to start.
Pelicans - Trey Burke, PG, Michigan
Greivis Vasquez may be leaving via free agency following the upcoming season. Burke should improve the games of Anthony Davis and every other Pelican.
Kings - Alex Len, C, Maryland
The eternal quest for an impact player to play behind/alongside D.Cousins and J.Thompson may well end here.
Pistons - Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse
MCW will allow B.Knight to play off the ball. For that reason alone, he's worth the pick here.
Timberwolves - C.J. McCollum, G, Lehigh
Likened to Stephen Curry, the former Lehigh star should fit in well alongside of Rubio - or occasionally spelling him.
Trail Blazers - Jamaal Franklin, G/F, San Diego State
One of the league's worst benches finally receives much-needed help in the form of this intriguing 6'5" player with a freakish 6'11" wingspan.
76ers - Cody Zeller, PF, Indiana
No, Zeller is not a Center, at least a full-time one, but should make a seamless transition to PF.
Thunder - Rudy Gobert, C, Cholet Basket (France)
While considered a project with a 7'9" wingspan, something tells me that Gobert may already be more productive than K.Perkins and H.Thabeet. Granted, that's not saying much.
Mavericks - Dario Saric, SF/PF, KK Cibona (Croatia)
It's time for the Mavs to start thinking about an heir apparent to Dirk Nowitzki, albeit one who should be able to contribute sooner, rather than later.
Jazz - Dennis Schroeder, PG, New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig (Germany)
The PGs on the Jazz roster are all either Free Agents, ineffective, or both.
Bucks - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia
With Jennings, Ellis and Redick unlikely to return, the back-court must be addressed.
Celtics - Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA
A proverbial feast-or-famine player who shouldn't fall further than this. Ainge will worry about where Muhammad fits in later.
Hawks - Sergey Karasev, SF, Triumph Lyubertsy (Russia)
As one of the premier shooters in this draft, Karasev will undoubtedly fit in somewhere.
Hawks - Gorgui Dieng, C, Louisville
While there are Centers with higher upside still on the board, Dieng gets the nod here due to his ability to contribute right away. More importantly, Al Horford finally moves to his natural PF position.
Cavs - Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Filathlitikos Div II Greece (Greece)
Cavs grab the best SF still on the board - and one with a tremendous upside as a Point Forward type.
Bulls - Allen Crabbe, SG, California
Crabbe's game resembles the departed Richard Hamilton with one exception: Crabbe has more range on his jumper. Thus, the Bulls won't hesitate for one second if Crabbe is available at # 20.
Jazz - Steven Adams, C/PF, Pittsburgh
Given the fact that both Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap are unrestricted free agents, it is a safe bet that the Jazz will go big here.
Nets - Jeff Withey, C, Kansas
Withey helps to solve two problems in Brooklyn:
1)The lack of a backup center.
2)Putrid interior defense.
Pacers - Tony Mitchell, SF/PF, North Texas
The Pacers face two major potential problems this off season:
1) Both David West and "Psycho T" will be free agents, with at least one unlikely to return.
2)Danny Granger's status moving forward.
Likened to Josh Smith, Mitchell is the choice here. At the very least, Mitchell should help to improve the Pacer's bench, which may likely prove to be the team's undoing against a deep Heat team.
Knicks - Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, North Carolina
With or without J.R Smith, the Knicks can certainly use more shooters to space the floor.
Clippers - Kelly Olynyk, C/F, Gonzaga
Projected as big stretch 4/5, Olynyk provides needed depth for both B.Griffin and D.Jordan, adding another dimension to the Clipper attack.
Timberwolves - Tim Hardaway, Jr., SG, Michigan
Why gamble on a Center project when a player with a high ceiling is still on the board? Plus, Hardaway may well be able to swing over to SF on occasion.
Good value pick.
Nuggets - Tony Snell, G, New Mexico
At 6-7, and an excellent catch-and-shoot jump shooter, Snell provides Denver with a valuable weapon that was missing once Aaron Afflalo was traded away.
Spurs - Mason Plumlee, C/F, Duke
Not a flashy pick by any means, but Plumlee, if he's able to provide significant productive minutes behind Duncan and Splitter, will prove to be a solid pick.
Thunder - Deshaun Thomas, F, Ohio State
After going with a project at #12, the Thunder go for immediate help. They should get it with a match up nightmare in Thomas, who should provide a fascinating option off of the Thunder Bench.
Both Thomas and PJ III emerging into solid rotation players is a frightening prospect for Thunder opponents.
Suns - C.J. Leslie, SF/PF, North Carolina State
Projected as a SF, Leslie, who possesses tremendous potential, provides much needed athleticism to a Suns front line woefully deficient in that area.
Last edited by Revering4Blue; 05-23-2013 at 04:10 PM.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
I don't follow the NBA closely, and admittedly didn't follow Kentucky that closely this year. Is Nerlens Noel really #1 pick in the draft good? I didn't see much of an offensive game, nor much potential for it to develop beyond put backs and dunks. I understand the elite shot blocking.
Hugs, smiling, and interactive Twitter accounts, don't mean winning baseball. Until this community understands that we are cursed to relive the madness.
A healthy Pervis Ellison is a pretty high floor. The only season he started more than 60 NBA games (his only healthy season), he averaged 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and almost 3 blocks.
Very raw. Whoever takes him will be waiting for him to recover from his torn ACL, and then take another year or so to develop an offensive game. His defensive and shot blocking presence alone are why he is the likely no 1 overall pick (that and how weak this draft class is).
Actually, after the Kings foolishly traded him, Ellison played 74 games, albeit fewer minutes, in his first season in D.C, averaging around 10 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. I was thinking more along the lines of the cumulative average of his years with the Bullets.
That's still a good call on your part. Folks tend to forget that when Ellison was at least relatively healthy, he was a very productive player, at least on a per-minute basis, even though he played out of position for years.
Last edited by Revering4Blue; 05-25-2013 at 12:22 AM.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
That's entirely true. Even more so than Anthony Davis, Noel can impact the game without scoring a point. I'll even go as far to suggest that Noel will likely average 8 to 10 points a game on lobs and put backs alone.
IMHO, this draft features more intriguing prospects than given credit for and may produce some solid rotation players.
But as for star/superstar potential, IMO, Noel, McLemore, Oladipo, and Bennett are head and shoulders above the rest, unless Trey Burke really is the next Chris Paul.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/2112/nerlens-noelSources tell ESPN.com that the Cavs still have Kentucky PF/C Nerlens Noel atop their big board
[URL="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/2130/player?r=1"]http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/2130/player?r=1[/URLScouts are comparing Indiana PF/C Cody Zeller to Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nba/2125/player?r=1Sources tell ESPN.com that new Wolves GM Flip Saunders is "especially high" on UCLA G/F Shabazz Muhammad.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
If Kevin Love or DeMarcus Cousins are in play, I'd say the pick will be traded.
I would have never guessed that high of comparisons for Zeller. He's got more potential than his brother, but I was thinking Anderson Varajeo.
I'm shocked Shabazz Muhammad is still in discussion for the lottery with all of the baggage associated with him. From pouting because his teammate hit the game winner to his father's problems with the law, just doesn't seem like someone I'm glad Kentucky steered clear of.
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