RealGM

The only time that there was 3 consecutive bad picks at #1 was Bogut, Bargnani, and Oden, but Bogut wasn't really a terrible pick.

Pretty much every other 3 consecutive year stretch of the draft is going to net you at least 1 or 2 very good, to all time great players.

Imagine if you got Larry Johnson, Shaq, and Chris Webber. Or Yao, Lebron, and Dwight Howard.

Texas Chuck wrote:

Whopper_Sr wrote:So something like 11-14 vs 15-18 Cavs. I’ll take the latter.

Doesn't get any better than this to show everyone exactly what the answer is.

I think the point is that the draft picks helped transform the Cavs to the 15-18 version. I don't think anyone would take 11-14 in isolation if it has no implication on the future. Cavs also won in '16, so it's not the most fair comparison.

rapstarter wrote:

Texas Chuck wrote:

Whopper_Sr wrote:So something like 11-14 vs 15-18 Cavs. I’ll take the latter.

Doesn't get any better than this to show everyone exactly what the answer is.

I think the point is that the draft picks helped transform the Cavs to the 15-18 version. I don't think anyone would take 11-14 in isolation if it has no implication on the future. Cavs also won in '16, so it's not the most fair comparison.

Very, very well said rapstarter. You are a smart one.

Dr Aki wrote:

Whopper_Sr wrote:So something like 11-14 vs 15-18 Cavs. I’ll take the latter.

Would you feel different if the Cavs didn't win in 2016?

No, because as much as it would sting, those Warriors teams played excellent basketball on both ends and the Cavs were the underdogs throughout.

Then again, you don’t run into GSW type dynasties often or have LeBron on your team so it’s a special case.

For the other option, the #1 overall pick loses its appeal unless a sure fire thing like Duncan comes along. Sound scouting trumps draft position in most years.

Sark wrote:The only time that there was 3 consecutive bad picks at #1 was Bogut, Bargnani, and Oden, but Bogut wasn't really a terrible pick.

Pretty much every other 3 consecutive year stretch of the draft is going to net you at least 1 or 2 very good, to all time great players.

Imagine if you got Larry Johnson, Shaq, and Chris Webber. Or Yao, Lebron, and Dwight Howard.

Well, Orlando did get Shaq and Webber, they ended up trading Webber for hard away and only made it to the finals 1 time and LOST. Adding lj to that wouldn’t of guaranteed a win. 3 straight appearances are way better


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rapstarter wrote:

Texas Chuck wrote:

Whopper_Sr wrote:So something like 11-14 vs 15-18 Cavs. I’ll take the latter.

Doesn't get any better than this to show everyone exactly what the answer is.

I think the point is that the draft picks helped transform the Cavs to the 15-18 version. I don't think anyone would take 11-14 in isolation if it has no implication on the future. Cavs also won in '16, so it's not the most fair comparison.

Sure Kyrie and being able to flip Wiggins for Love helped. But make no mistake if Lebron never comes back Kyrie and Wiggins(and Bennett lol) were never getting the Cavs so much as back into the playoffs. So I'm going to continue to take the Finals.

And we can set aside the Cavs. Look at Lebron's next team who picked 2nd 3x. They also were going nowhere pre-Lebron. Or the Kings and the Wolves who have picked near the top of the lottery for 15 years and gotten nowhere.

Sure if Lebron or Shaq or Duncan happens to be in a draft class then yes take the picks and get ready to do a lot of winning or at least have a chance to(Cleveland and Orlando didn't win with their draft picks). But those guys come along every dozen years or so. Pretty terrible odds.

I assume that 3 finals loss team would then break up/never get to the finals again or else it would be a easy decision.

From an owner/GM/money stand point you take the 3 years of success and money making over uncertainty.
Also if youre a fan, maybe you bonded with that team, so even if they dont win, the journey was special i.e. stockton and malone.

3 first picks is really a gamble. I personally would do it. And anyone that sees winning as the end goal would as well. But not everything is about winning, even in a game.

SUPERVILLAIN wrote:Simple question. Which would you rather have happen to your favorite team?

Win 3 straight 1st overall pick or lose 3 straight Finals?

3 straight finals losses obviously. That means you're very close to a championship whereas 1st overall picks means you're about as far away as you can possibly be from a ring.

Who cares about the #1 picks, the absolute pain and torture of losing 3 straight finals is something I’d want to avoid regardless of getting the picks.

Sometimes winning is more about avoiding the pain of losing more than experiencing the joy of winning.

Pennebaker wrote:whereas 1st overall picks means you're about as far away as you can possibly be from a ring.

I know what you are trying to say, but this is so incorrect. 95% of NBA champions were built around a top pick they have drafted. So no, you are not "as far away as you can possible be from a ring" in this hypothetical scenario.

Ask Buffalo Bills fans if they rather have #1 overall picks or losing in SB each year.

I'm taking the #1 picks. Losing in finals 3 years in a row would be painful experience. Rather just get eliminated in first round.

Goner wrote:This poll illustrates the difference between Realgm and actual GMs.

what does picking 1st has to do with realgm? if you have 3 straight final loss chances are your core is washed in treadmill.
2016-18 you have simmons,tatum,doncic thats 3 rings starting from 2020. i will take that over lefrauds 3 straight final in weak east.
And plenty of teams want to not repeat 3 loss just look at sixers losing to KL and hawks their fans are on sucide watch.

DroseReturnChi wrote:

Goner wrote:This poll illustrates the difference between Realgm and actual GMs.

what does picking 1st has to do with realgm? if you have 3 straight final loss chances are your core is washed in treadmill.
2016-18 you have simmons,tatum,doncic thats 3 rings starting from 2020. i will take that over lefrauds 3 straight final in weak east.
And plenty of teams want to not repeat 3 loss just look at sixers losing to KL and hawks their fans are on sucide watch.

in 2016-2018 you actually have SImmons, Fultz, and Ayton.
And before that we have Bennett, Wiggins and towns.

Whopper_Sr wrote:So something like 11-14 vs 15-18 Cavs. I’ll take the latter.

They couldn't have done B without A transpiring first though.

Ballerhogger wrote:

dirkforpres wrote:

Ballerhogger wrote:Fine lol Sam Bowie
My point is there little guarantee you picked a winner .

Sam Bowie wasn’t #1 either

He was 2 you are right . Fine Darko Millicic

Go home, you're drunk.

The thing way too many people are missing is that three straight finals losses very likely means you're very close to winning it all. You're probably one move away.

3 straight number one picks means you're years and development and tons of luck and correct decisions away from contending.

Ballerhogger wrote:

dirkforpres wrote:

Ballerhogger wrote:3 picks that can be greg oden , Johnny Flynn , Anthony Benett

Johnny Flynn wasn’t #1

Fine lol Drako
My point is there little guarantee you picked a winner .

Whereas if you're choosing the 3 straight Finals losses, there's full guarantee that you picked a loser.

This is a Journey vs. Destination question to me. 3 straight Finals losses means 3 years of winning basketball during the season and 3 years of winning several playoff series. That's a lot of winning basketball. Sure losing the finals would sting but if those final series were competitive and not sweeps I'd still enjoy the excitement of watching it rather than not having my team there at all.

3 straight 1st overall picks means 3 years of tanking. 3 years of unbearable, unwatchable basketball. 3 years of sadness for 82 games per year. How is that a good thing? I'll take the guaranteed 3 years of winning minus the 3 final series over 3 years of losing with "hope" of winning later.

Do people even like watching basketball or are fans only following the sport to "win" at the end of year? Are folks just constantly looking for the next Jordan, LeBron, or Kobe to gush over? I honestly don't understand the infatuation with tanking for the next star by fans.

Surprised so many people are taking the picks. Here's the 1st overall picks of this century:

2021 | No. 1 pick — Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft
2020 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft
2019 | No. 1 pick — Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) | Full Draft
2018 | No. 1 pick — Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns) | Full Draft
2017 | No. 1 pick — Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft
2016 | No. 1 pick — Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft
2015 | No. 1 pick — Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft
2014 | No. 1 pick — Andrew Wiggins (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Drafts
2013 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Bennett (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft
2012 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Davis (New Orleans Hornets) | Full Draft
2011 | No. 1 pick — Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft
2010 | No. 1 pick — John Wall (Washington Wizards) | Full Draft
2009 | No. 1 pick — Blake Griffin (LA Clippers) | Full Draft
2008 | No. 1 pick — Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) | Full Draft
2007 | No. 1 pick — Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft
2006 | No. 1 pick — Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors) | Full Draft
2005 | No. 1 pick — Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks) | Full Draft
2004 | No. 1 pick — Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft
2003 | No. 1 pick — LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft
2002 | No. 1 pick — Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft
2001 | No. 1 pick — Kwame Brown (Washington Wizards) | Full Draft
2000 | No. 1 pick — Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft

In those 22 years, there's probably 2 cores of 3x picks that have a solid chance at making a single Finals appearance: LeBron+Dwight plus Yao/Bogut, and Wall+Kyrie+AD (Ayton+Zion+Edwards might be something to watch for in the future). I'd expect LeBron+Dwight to be an amazing team with multiple rings, but absolutely nothing is guaranteed with the injury history of Wall+Kyrie+AD. So then that makes one sure thing in 22 years

I guess if you're taking the picks then you're hoping for one of those to end up being a LeBron-tier player, all while enduring a Process Sixers type run of at least 3 years lol

BenoUdrihFTL wrote:Surprised so many people are taking the picks. Here's the 1st overall picks of this century:

2021 | No. 1 pick — Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft
2020 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft
2019 | No. 1 pick — Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) | Full Draft
2018 | No. 1 pick — Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns) | Full Draft
2017 | No. 1 pick — Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft
2016 | No. 1 pick — Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft
2015 | No. 1 pick — Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft
2014 | No. 1 pick — Andrew Wiggins (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Drafts
2013 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Bennett (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft
2012 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Davis (New Orleans Hornets) | Full Draft
2011 | No. 1 pick — Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft
2010 | No. 1 pick — John Wall (Washington Wizards) | Full Draft
2009 | No. 1 pick — Blake Griffin (LA Clippers) | Full Draft
2008 | No. 1 pick — Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) | Full Draft
2007 | No. 1 pick — Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft
2006 | No. 1 pick — Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors) | Full Draft
2005 | No. 1 pick — Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks) | Full Draft
2004 | No. 1 pick — Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft
2003 | No. 1 pick — LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft
2002 | No. 1 pick — Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft
2001 | No. 1 pick — Kwame Brown (Washington Wizards) | Full Draft
2000 | No. 1 pick — Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft

In those 22 years, there's probably 2 cores of 3x picks that have a solid chance at making a single Finals appearance: LeBron+Dwight plus Yao/Bogut, and Wall+Kyrie+AD (Ayton+Zion+Edwards might be something to watch for in the future). I'd expect LeBron+Dwight to be an amazing team with multiple rings, but absolutely nothing is guaranteed with the injury history of Wall+Kyrie+AD. So then that makes one sure thing in 22 years

I guess if you're taking the picks then you're hoping for one of those to end up being a LeBron-tier player lol

you can get close to lebron tier every yr. the problem is these horrible gms select busts you get fultz every 3 yrs. who you pick is franchise changing. presti got 3mvps while not using any number 1 pick. in the right hands you dont even need number 1.