The 2012 NBA Draft: 6th & 11th picks, and some random 2nds.

[Norm2953]

Some teams are not tanking but simply stink but it's odd that the Wolves fans
at the trade deadline seemed so positive and now have to watch such crap
on the court.

I suspect NJ will want to lose that last game in Toronto for its in their best
interests to finish at hopefully 5 if Cleveland can win one more game.
Cleveland has one really winnable game against Washington and
perhaps could beat the Bulls who undoubtedly will choose to rest their
starters. If New Orleans can win against the LAC and beat GS, they
would also finish in a tie with the loser of NJ/Toronto. Conceivably
Sacramento might beat the Lakers on perhaps the last home game
in Sacramento which would produce a tie for 3-6.

It's going to be a nervous (for Blazer fans) last four days of the regular
season for the competition for lottery positioning is going to be tight.

[SalemStoner]

to hell with that

NJ could get a top-3 pick this year..maybe even gets Anthony Davis. Deron decides to re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets, and they use some cap-space and the mini-MLE to fill out their roster. Lopez comes back and teams with Davis to form a pretty dynamic front-court, especially if they keep Humphries and Gerald Wallace. NJ is only 11 games out of the playoffs this season and that's after they've gone into full tank mode and after Deron has missed 10 games and Lopez practically the entire season

Then the Nets make the playoffs next season and the Blazers end up with the 19th or 21st pick in a weak draft


that scenario is just as likely as the one where Portland gets a top pick next year

I've been saying this exact scenario is pretty likely since the day we made the trade with them. It's a scenario which is terrifying the piss out of me as we would basically have given Crash away for a late first in a likely weaker draft after waiting a full year and change to even see the pick.

I just don't like the idea of betting against the NBA giving the Nets their pick back on the eve of their move into Brooklyn. I'd love to get the Nets pick, but the odds of them keeping it are real and good.

[Khazim]

I've been saying this exact scenario is pretty likely since the day we made the trade with them. It's a scenario which is terrifying the piss out of me as we would basically have given Crash away for a late first in a likely weaker draft after waiting a full year and change to even see the pick.

I just don't like the idea of betting against the NBA giving the Nets their pick back on the eve of their move into Brooklyn. I'd love to get the Nets pick, but the odds of them keeping it are real and good.

As it stands currently, the Nets have a 20% chance of keeping their pick. I would definitely call those odds real, but not exactly good. Now if you're the conspiracy theory type and think that Stern might be nudging the lottery odds as he sees fit, well then you may have something. But I certainly wouldn't be making my trade decisions based on that line of thinking.

There is absolutely a chance we won't get the pick this year, and that the Nets will do well enough next year to render our pick crappy, but thinking that is likely to be the case is the gamble here.

[DusterBuster]

Detroit @ Indy is entering the 4th with the Pacers leading by 1.
Bobcats @ Washington also beginning the 4th. It's a 20pt blowout, take a guess who's losing!
Philly @ Jersey are at the half with the Sixers up by 10pts.
Cleveland @ Memphis are tied mid-way through the 2nd.
Toronto @ Milwaukee also mid-way through the 2nd, Raps up by 5pts.

Basically every single game but the Blazer game will have lottery implications for the Nets pick.

EDIT: Nevermind, the Bobcats/Wizards game won't have any impact on it. Didn't realize they were still under 20 wins.

[The Sebastian Express]

Fingers crossed all the teams we need to win end up winning.

[fishnc]

Go Cavs, go Raps, go Pistons, go Sixers

[DusterBuster]

The Nets lost.

The Pistons also lost, there's now no way the for Detroit to tie or finish ahead of the Nets in the lottery. So we can count them out of teams that might tie for that 4-7ish spot.

The Cavs and Raps are in near dead locked games.

[The Sebastian Express]

The Cavs are intentionally trying to tank this game, those bastards. Irving has only played 25 minutes, their subs have been in for like the last ten minutes. No Irving at all so far in the fourth.

[Norm2953]

Looking at the schedule, we're looking at a group of teams tied with 22 wins.

It seems like New Orleans will be the odd team out, finishing with 21 wins and
the 3 position, but Sacramento could easily get to 22 wins with an emotional
win over the Lakers who will be resting their star players. Cleveland if they
don't win tonight has a great chance at a win against the Wizards. That last
game (Toronto/NJ) is going to be a key game.

[Wizenheimer]

the tanking sweepstakes are real interesting

which team between Toronto and NJ will want to lose the game more Thursday night? They both have 3 days to prepare losing strategies. The game is at Toronto. Let's hope home crowd pushes the Raps to an unwanted victory

Can Cleveland get a home win against a worse team? they play the Wizards in another tank-fest special. Washington is locked into the 2nd slot in the lottery so they may have more to play for...that is they have nothing to lose by winning

Can the Kings upset the Lakers in their final game?

That could set up a 3-way tie between NJ, Cle, & Sac for the 4-6 slots. and wouldn't that make for an exciting coin-flip/drawing for position!!

mostly unrelated to Blazer fortunes, Golden State's hard, end-of-the-season-tank-job might not be enough. Their pick is only top-7 protected and they are in 8th position. Their only hope is to lose their last 2 games and win a coin-toss with the winner of the NJ-Tor game

[Norm2953]

It was GS's fault they're are on the outside looking in for find a way to lose to
the Wolves the other night.

We got to remember this tank fest is not the actual draft order but the bad
teams trying to get as many ping pong balls (chances) at winning the lottery.
We've also got to remember the players available are all going to need some
time to develop for a team like NJ if they finish in the top 3 is not going to
win unless they find a way to re-sign Deron. If NJ has to put together a S/T
with a team like Dallas for Deron, that large trade exception they will get
might help them as much as the Lebron trade exception helped the Cavs.

[Norm2953]

Tonight's games include NO/GS. It's unlikely NO will win their remaining two games but
ii they do, they would join the other 22 win teams and not so good for NJ's pick.

Sacramento can join the 22 win group if they beat the Lakers at home in the final game
of the season. They might win for might be their final game in Sacramento and the Lakers
will almost certainly rest their players with the playoffs starting this weekend.

[DusterBuster]

Wow, what a blatant tank by the Warriors tonight.

[Norm2953]

GS has to hope they will win the tie breaker with the winner of the Nets/Raptors
in order to keep their pick. They almost blew it by winning tonight but I find it
amazing the Warriors fans were cheering for the Hornets tonight.

[Norm2953]

Apparently in going over to other boards, the tie breaker for the lottery teams
consists of a simple coin toss if there are just two teams, If there are 3 teams,
there would be a simultaneous coin flip with the team that does not get what
the other teams getting the tie breaker.

Amazing going over to the other boards for the tank discussions are everywhere.

[Blazer77]

I've been playing around on ESPN's mock draft generator a lot over the past few days and I'm trying to figure out why it seems like Chad Ford has us taking Perry Jones when Kendall Marshall is available (or even Jared Sullinger). Am I off here? I personally value a player like Sullinger more than Jones. I like the fact that Sullinger is a back to the basket, lunch-pail tough kind of power forward who is still high on potential and can knock down a mid-range jumper or attack the basket. Marshall, if available is a really good sized PG at 6-3 but doesn't fall into that "combo" guard label as he's a pure pass-first PG.

I also see Harrison Barnes a lot. . . personally I'd rather trade the pick than get a guy like Barnes. I think the last thing we need right now is a rookie small forward. The caveat to that is Terrence Jones who I think would be a great fit for this team as a 3 / stretch 4 because of his ability to pass, rebound and defend.

I'd be stoked if somehow Drummond fell to us with our first pick. I don't think that will happen, but it does bode well for us that the Kings are picking in front of us and they have a ton of big men already. I just don't think they'll logically look to fill a frontcourt position (or keep the pick for that matter).

I'm personally against taking two rookies even in this deep draft and I hope we trade out to get a solid starter with our 6th-7th pick being the bait.

[UncleSpliffy]

That mock draft generator is fun to play with but it really only goes off the big board player rankings and does not really address team need at all. I love it when it has the blazers selecting both Lillard and Marshall, or both of the Zellers!

[deanwoof]

is cody zeller still on the espn mock draft since he's going back to indiana?

[Blazinaway]

looks like the Cavs want no part of a tie at 22 wins, losin to the lowly Wiz by 14 early in the 4th

[Norm2953]

Kyrie Irving played only 10 minutes in the game which is why the Wizards won so easily.

There's a lot of shameless tanking which the NBA league office will probably address in
the off season. Cripes, the Warriors have been shamelessly tanking for weeks and it
might pay off if they can win a coin flip with the winner of the NJ/Toronto game. Its
not good for the game for in this economy, people are paying a lot of their hard
earned money to see teams shamelessly tanking. I'm thankful for the most part,
Portland's players seem to be trying their best which is a tribute to coach Canales.