2012 Draft Thursday, June 28th: Raptors select Terence Ross

[DG88]

It's either Lamb or Lillard

[planetmars]

someone on here, cant remember who, had a two day tournament idea. that i think was the best idea i've heard so far. losing teams playing for something and ticket sales bringing in money for the league. whoever the original idea came from i salute you.

i like it because quitters would be at a disadvantage to turn it back on for a tournament.

Bill Simmons out of Grantland came up with this idea.. but his idea wasn't for the #1 pick but for the 8th seed in the East and West.

His idea is the top 7 teams in the East/West make the playoffs as currently situated. The 8th seed goes to the winner of a NCAA-style playoff. This tournament could go for 3 days while the top 7 teams rest. Once the winner is declared they become the 8th seed.

The same idea could work but for non-playoff teams, and the seeding for the lottery could be determined on who wins that playoff. The only issue would be West vs East and travel logistics.. so I'm not sure how that would play out realistically - but it would be fun.

[planetmars]

I have also been thinking about the draft lottery process and way to stop tanking, while also still helping the truly awful teams. Here's one pretty simple idea I had:

1st overall pick
- all non playoff teams get equal 1/14 chance in a lottery

#2-#4 picks
- a weighted lottery of all non-playoff teams (who didn't win the #1 overall pick), similar to the current lottery system

#5-14 picks
- the last 10 lottery picks get assigned in reverse order of standings, similar to current system

#15-30 picks & 2nd round
- all based on reverse order of standings, similar to current system


I think this would prevent tanking, since there is usually a consensus #1 and now the standings don't give any preference to particular teams, based on standings and a weighted lottery system. However, for the next 3 picks, there is still a weighted preference to the worst teams, under the assumption that the worst teams are truly the worst teams. I don't think teams would tank as deliberately, when doing so doesn't help them land the #1 overall pick. After that consensus #1, there is often discrepancy over who the BPA is and it often comes down to positional need as well.

I think this is a minor tweak that wouldn't mean a complete overhaul of the current system, but might very well at least somewhat discourage the outright tanking we saw from teams this year and in years past when there was a very clear cut consensus #1 player (ie: the LBJ draft year, the Oden/Durant draft year and the Griffin draft year).

This is probably the best idea I've heard.. really the only true lottery should be for the #1 pick and I think if the worst 14 teams have equal footing tanking would be discouraged. They would need to conduct two lotteries, and they can have them in two separate days - which would actually give the league more money (from sponsor's).

The other idea I've heard which could be fair is to use the same system but instead of using the current year's standings to use the last 3 year's instead. That way a team would have to tank for 3 years in a row - and in that case truly deserve the best shot at #1.

[ceez]

was interesting in the BC interview that they had some players they liked in the area of our first second rounder, but didn't anticipate using the other second rounder. there certainly is talent to be found there, especially if they move up in the second round. a guy like Jenkins or Lamb could be really valuable off the bench.

[Nilanka]

I'm hoping Machado is available at the 37th pick.

[RAPresenting]

Let the speculation begin and I look forward to the rumors that will surface over the next few weeks. Every draft has someone who falls (Knight last year) and someone that makes a huge jump (Thompson last year). I have a feeling that Beal (size) or Barnes (Passive and not a great athlete compared to other 3's) could be the guy who slips. Works outs and the combine always make guys like Perry Jones look like studs while in reality their tweeners. I am intrigued by Jones III but we already have 2 SF's who are most effective playing the undersized 4 in Kleiza and JJ. Dre, Davis and Amir are all PF's so that sets us up with 6 guys who need minutes at 2 positions (unless you play Dre, Amir or Ed at the 5). If Jones is picked I would assume at least 2 of those guys would be traded for a legit full time 3 or a guard.

[JalenRose5]

I would take Perry Jones on Potential, and Jared Sullinger on nasty factor.

[slaw]

Major "tweaks" options:

A) Simple and probably been debated - every team that doesn't make the playoffs has an equal shot at every draft position. Put all of the teams in the machine and pull one out at a time.
Advantage - would make the draft lottery way more interesting and tanking wouldn't be a factor

What happens to teams that aren't tanking but just aren't any good? Small market teams that can't attract free agents and, by luck of the draw, wind up picking 10-14 every year. Do you just fold those teams?

B) As soon as you have been officially eliminated from the playoffs, start adding up your wins. The teams with the most wins after they have been eliminated can have the first pick and the team with the second amount of wins gets second pick and so on. You could also just rank the teams in order of their wins after elimination and put them in the currently used lottery ball system.
Advantage - every team is always competing, right to the end

How do you account for strength of schedule? East and West teams play entirely different scheds. Even conference teams play unbalanced schedules. What if you have your best players get injured late in the year? Not only are you punished by having your best players gone, you get to watch your future draft chances disintegrate before your eyes.

Minor "tweak" option:

C) You place the teams in order of their elimination from the playoffs. The first team officially eliminated automatically gets the most lotto balls. In this option, a team could conceivably be the first eliminated and then go on a winning streak and end up just out of the playoffs.
Advantage - not a major change (and you could still have some teams "tanking" first), but eliminates those games at the end of the year where you are hoping your team loses so that you have a higher chance at the higher picks. Once your team is officially out, you could have coach changes, player personnel changes and really try to get momentum going into next year.

This would actually increase the incentive to tank. It would be a race to the bottom. And, again, strength of schedule. PLus, order of schedule. Teams that have a back-loaded schedule would be at a disadvantage because of the order they play teams. This makes no sense.

[slaw]

someone on here, cant remember who, had a two day tournament idea. that i think was the best idea i've heard so far. losing teams playing for something and ticket sales bringing in money for the league. whoever the original idea came from i salute you.

i like it because quitters would be at a disadvantage to turn it back on for a tournament.

Think about this for a second. If you're a free agent with a team, what possible incentive do you have to play in this tournament? What if a team has legit injuries? They get doubly punished? You'd also be condemning truly bad teams who aren't tanking but just aren't any good. May as well just relegate them to another league.

[Nilanka]

No matter which lottery method is used, there will always be bad teams. There is no magical way of eliminating crappy basketball. We just need to accept that there will always be teams in the bottom of the standings. In an 82 game regular season with 30 teams, we can't expect each game to be competed with the intensity of a game-7. Whether they have incentive to tank or not, there will always be teams who suck large.

[NoPropsneeded]

PJ3 is our man

[NoPropsneeded]

Here is what I don't want: The Best available player or a safe pick like Derozan and Ed Davis.

I want to take a big gamble on a player.

Go big or go home!!

PJ3 it is then. He has the 2nd most highest ceiling after Davis but he's a bit of a gamble. He would be incredible on the Raps tho

[theycallmeZZ]

8. Toronto Raptors

Jeremy Lamb: SG, 19, 6-5, 185, Connecticut, Soph.

While the Raptors anxiously await the arrival of their 2011 lottery pick, Jonas Valanciunas, next season, they have a chance to plug another hole. Finding a successor to starting point guard Jose Calderon, who is entering the final year of his contract, is a priority, especially considering that Valanciunas will need to have offense created for him, at least initially. The Raptors' wing rotation also looks unsettled, with DeMar DeRozan still unable to find a consistent jump shot, and very little starting material around him. One solution might be to pick Jeremy Lamb, one of the most talented scorers in the draft, and move DeRozan to small forward.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/y-sport...0401--nba.html

Not sure if this was posted

[thead]

DeRozan needs about 10lbs of SOLID muscle added in order to move to the 3

[RandomGuy]

I've seen all world U19 performances of US team, Jeremy Lamb has freaky potential. You don't need to be basketball pro to notice that.