Lottery (New Thread)

[Lascar78]

It's changed a tiny bit because Charlotte was not in the lottery last year. Their pick was automatic

[RAHMOR]

My fault for posting it three times. My computer was acting up.

[Diesel]

Yeah, but the season is 5 times as long as football.

Mathematically, it would be impossible for a team that's on the fringe of the playoffs at midseason to catch a team like we were this season in order to get a coveted #1 pick. First off, I think pride would stop players from tanking the whole season and NO coach worth his salt would tank the whole season.

It's just that simple.

However, when you have a lottery in place... and ANYBODY Can win, I think teams that are better but not good enough to get into the playoffs WILL ALWAYS TANK. Because BY tanking, you put yourself in a better position to get a top 3 pick.

However, look at this year as a model.

This year it was no doubt that the worst teams in the league were US, Charlotte, and N.O. Mathematically, by midseason, NO TEAM could have caught us...

What makes you think that a team would have tanked down the stretch had there been a Lebron James in the Draft? They wouldn't have.

I think the Lottery encourages tanking.

[Diesel]

Quote:

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it can help keep teams from tanking...after all, if it's the end of the year and one or two wins will mean the difference in #3 or #6 pick...what will teams do?

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Yeah, but how does it keep teams from tanking...

In actuallity, all it really does is punish bad teams... It punishes them with uncertainty about their pick. However, it rewards a team for being in the top 14.

The Message of the Lottery is this... IF you are in the top 14, you will have a shot at the top three picks...

Tell me...

How does that message say to any team that maybe 20-15 (in actuallity) that they shouldn't tank?

In VA, the lottery slogan used to be " you can't win if you don't play"...

If you applied that to the NBA Draft lottery, what it really says is YOU MUST Play... TANK! Anytime there has been a hot commodity in the draft, teams have tanked!

[Lascar78]

Right, because there's no "you can't win if you don't play" associated with the playoffs...

[AHF]

I still think the incentive to tank is less in a lottery situation than it is when you have a guaranteed lower pick for losing more games. However, I do see your point about a team hoping they can become the next Orlando Magic and snab a #1 from a later lottery position.