NBA looking to change Draft Lottery; 76ers say no

[Sign5]

LOL Philly on that epic tanking. Looking at the prospects for 2015, the top ones are C/PFs notably Jahil Okafor, Karl Towns and Cliff Alexander) and Emmanuel the PG.

Their PF/C is set for the future with Noel and Embiid so I'm guessing they'd draft Emman and slide MCW to the 2? Or possibly make him expandable for a better shooting wing?

Tbh, what they needed in this draft is a Bradley Beal-like SG, where they'd roll a lineup of


MCW
Beal
/Saric
Noel
Embiid

Bradley is RFA next season so I'm sure they'd offer him the max but Wiz will definitely match the offer.But I think he'd be an awesome fit with that group or a player in his mold. Eric Gordon is also a free agent so if they aren't weary of his injury woes he'd also be a great fit.

[83SixersRocked]

and for the next 10 years

You may be right about that. Between 1971 and 1983 the Clippers drafted edit: lower than 9th... 0 times.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Clippers_draft_history

[BullyKing]

Go ahead and change the system. But they shouldn't have waited until after the Draft and Free agency period to try to change rules for the upcoming season.
The NBA let Orlando and Cleveland get away with blatant tanking for two year periods without a thought. Now its an issue?

They lost Lebron. I think anything after Lebron is probably considered tanking. Also they tried to get better. They traded for Deng and Hawes with hopes of making the playoffs.

And the Magic actually had a talented young roster. A fan of alot of their current guys too.

The 76ers literally traded away all their players for a bag of chips. None of those trades brought back meaningful young talent. Its not the same. If they didnt make any trades last year, they wouldve made the playoffs in the east. Thats how sad the east is.

This is just demonstrably false. The only player the Sixers traded prior to the start of last year was Jrue. Most people love that trade so unless you want to create a rule that a team can never trade an established player for draft picks or future assets, its irrelevant. With these supposed great players (I can only assume this refers to Turner and Hawes), the Sixers played the majority of the season and were no where near playoff contention. Sure, they didn't get a lot for Turner or Hawes but that's probably because they are both not very good and every realizes this. But don't let the facts get in the way of your narrative.

[biggestbullsfan]

Outside of MCW and Young, who actually played for the 76ers last year? I imagine a bunch of D-League talent but I dont know anyone by name.

Hollis "58 2K rating" Thompson started on the wing

Haha seriously?

[omerome]

So you'd be ok with what they were doing if they had traded cap space for useless players along with draft picks? Sure, that would have been nice (though they did this to a small extent). But it wouldn't change the tank outcome that you appear so offended by.

Well, what do you expect other teams to do for the Sixers? Bail them out? You don't think a veteran can help a team like the Sixers? While their contract may be a negative, it's that negative that the Sixers can ask for future draft picks in exchange. At least I can see they are trying to do something instead of purposely lose.

If I was a Sixers ticket holder, you can sell that to me much easier instead of saying "watch the Sixers lose 60+ games all for the low low price of $25 a game!"

[BullyKing]

LOL Philly on that epic tanking. Looking at the prospects for 2015, the top ones are C/PFs notably Jahil Okafor, Karl Towns and Cliff Alexander) and Emmanuel the PG.

Their PF/C is set for the future with Noel and Embiid so I'm guessing they'd draft Emman and slide MCW to the 2? Or possibly make him expandable for a better shooting wing?

Tbh, what they needed in this draft is a Bradley Beal-like SG, where they'd roll a lineup of


MCW
Beal
/Saric
Noel
Embiid

Bradley is RFA next season so I'm sure they'd offer him the max but Wiz will definitely match the offer.But I think he'd be an awesome fit with that group or a player in his mold. Eric Gordon is also a free agent so if they aren't weary of his injury woes he'd also be a great fit.

Too early to tell whether there will be good wing players available next year though I agree that the majority of top incoming frosh are big men. Between Henzoja, Stanley Johnson, Oubre and returning players like Hollis-Jefferson, I feel pretty confident there will be a good prospect available where they pick that fills a need.

[BullyKing]

So you'd be ok with what they were doing if they had traded cap space for useless players along with draft picks? Sure, that would have been nice (though they did this to a small extent). But it wouldn't change the tank outcome that you appear so offended by.

Well, what do you expect other teams to do for the Sixers? Bail them out? You don't think a veteran can help a team like the Sixers? While their contract may be a negative, it's that negative that the Sixers can ask for future draft picks in exchange. At least I can see they are trying to do something instead of purposely lose.

If I was a Sixers ticket holder, you can sell that to me much easier instead of saying "watch the Sixers lose 60+ games all for the low low price of $25 a game!"

So don't buy season tickets then? I mean, you act as if ownership is forcing fans to come to the games rather than what they are doing, which is forsaking their own short term profitability to try and build a championship contending team. I don't expect other teams to do anything for the Sixers other than change the rules in the middle of the game. How would you feel if the league all of a sudden said that traded draft picks cannot have protections so now every pick that has already been traded is magically unprotected?

[GallagherArt]

You don't consider Noel to be a high risk player? He's extremely high risk. He hasn't played a single minute of meaningful NBA basketball. And then factor in Embiid. Factor in the high pick the Sixers are anticipating in next years draft. Its just question mark after question mark.

No, Noel's ACL injury was due to smashing his knee into shallow padding under the basket, if he gets injured than it has nothing to do with past injuries so I don't believe he's that high of a risk at this point. I was more worried about the risk of him not being able to add bulk, however that doesn't worry me as much, minimally really, knowing Embiid will be playing alongside of him.

[cochiseuofm]

If the 76ers have a valid reason for fighting this other than it affects them adversely in the short-term, let them make their case.

To me this makes sense though, not even just for the NBA really either. The difference between the worst team in the league and the second or third worst team is not that large, if any exists at all. They all have a lot of work to do. When the management of teams are actively avoiding improving the short-term talent of their team to improve long-term prospects something is wrong with the system in place.

Wouldn't the league be more exciting if being in the bottom-three was unenviable and every team in the league was trying as hard as possible not to be there? I get that the players on the floor are trying as hard as they can to win games, but are the coaches? Is the front office? The NBA shouldn't have to have any team sacrifice their short-term watchability to improve long-term.

[76ciology]

If there's anything the Sixers prove in the last two years, it's that you don't need to have the no.1 pick to get the best players in the draft.

Sixers didn't had the no.1 pick for MCW and Noel. Sixers again didn't have the no.1 pick for Embiid.

Changing the system on the other hand would just make teams with poor scouts and FO a harder time to improve their team.

This move only benefits the big market teams by eliminating the advantage that is the ONLY advantage by small market teams because of their difficulty to lure big time FA to sign with them. They will now rely on more luck in the lotto and more luck that some teams would just bend over them.

[76ciology]

What Sixers is doing is actually the best for the league. Because it is the FASTEST and has the LOWEST CHANCE FOR FAILURE way of building a contender. And the amount of current assets the Sixers has right now and the projected assets they have in the next 2 seasons should speak volumes on the effectiveness of this plan.

By Sixers' 3rd year in their rebuilding plan they will have..

MCW
NOEL
EMBIID
SARIC
2015 lotto
2016 lotto
30m in cap space

McDaniels
Jerami Grant
Wroten
Thaddeus Young

ALL IN JUST 3 YEARS

[omerome]

So don't buy season tickets then? I mean, you act as if ownership is forcing fans to come to the games rather than what they are doing, which is forsaking their own short term profitability to try and build a championship contending team. I don't expect other teams to do anything for the Sixers other than change the rules in the middle of the game. How would you feel if the league all of a sudden said that traded draft picks cannot have protections so now every pick that has already been traded is magically unprotected?

Oh, don't worry, I won't buy season tickets. I'd like to know that my money was well spent, and watching a team lose games almost on purpose isn't it.

Not sure why you asked the last question.

[BullyKing]

So don't buy season tickets then? I mean, you act as if ownership is forcing fans to come to the games rather than what they are doing, which is forsaking their own short term profitability to try and build a championship contending team. I don't expect other teams to do anything for the Sixers other than change the rules in the middle of the game. How would you feel if the league all of a sudden said that traded draft picks cannot have protections so now every pick that has already been traded is magically unprotected?

Not sure why you asked the last question.

Because you apparently fail to understand that regardless of whether you like what the Sixers are doing, they are playing by the rules as they exist. It's unfair to change the rules without any warning when teams have already done things based on the rules that exist.

[Bulls69]

You have fans paying good money to see the Sixers but yet on purpose give them garbage so yes NBA please change the format.

[BullyKing]

What Sixers is doing is actually the best for the league. Because it is the FASTEST and has the LOWEST CHANCE FOR FAILURE way of building a contender. And the amount of current assets the Sixers has right now and the projected assets they have in the next 2 seasons should speak volumes on the effectiveness of this plan.

By Sixers' 3rd year in their rebuilding plan they will have..

MCW
NOEL
EMBIID
SARIC
2015 lotto
2016 lotto
30m in cap space

McDaniels
Jerami Grant
Wroten
Thaddeus Young

ALL IN JUST 3 YEARS

If we are looking out to 2016, highly unlikely Thad is there. But it doesn't matter - the Sixers are ruining the competitive balance of the league by not signing guys so they could lose by 15 every night instead of 20.

[omerome]

If there's anything the Sixers prove in the last two years, it's that you don't need to have the no.1 pick to get the best players in the draft.

Sixers didn't had the no.1 pick for MCW and Noel. Sixers again didn't have the no.1 pick for Embiid.

Changing the system on the other hand would just make teams with poor scouts and FO a harder time to improve their team.

This move only benefits the big market teams by eliminating the advantage that is the ONLY advantage by small market teams because of their difficulty to lure big time FA to sign with them. They will now rely on more luck in the lotto and more luck that some teams would just bend over them.

If a team has a poor FO and scouts, get better ones. No one said it would be an easy process. But if you're simply depending on luck to win, you're doing a terrible job running a team.

This big market/small market argument doesn't make sense to me. The last two teams that won a championship were not big market teams. The Thunder isn't a big market team and they are title contenders. Look at Portland, they have a young up and coming team as well and they aren't one of the highest earners, either.

It's about environment. If you have a coach/management that has the goal about building a winning organization, players will want to play there. If your direction is to lose games to get lottery picks, your organization is a losing one. Who wants to play for a losing organization? Win games and that's your bait to FAs.

[Snotbubbles]

So you'd be ok with what they were doing if they had traded cap space for useless players along with draft picks? Sure, that would have been nice (though they did this to a small extent). But it wouldn't change the tank outcome that you appear so offended by.

Well, what do you expect other teams to do for the Sixers? Bail them out? You don't think a veteran can help a team like the Sixers? While their contract may be a negative, it's that negative that the Sixers can ask for future draft picks in exchange. At least I can see they are trying to do something instead of purposely lose.

If I was a Sixers ticket holder, you can sell that to me much easier instead of saying "watch the Sixers lose 60+ games all for the low low price of $25 a game!"

What exactly would a veteran help the Sixers do? Win 25 games instead of 19? Would that appease the masses?

[BullyKing]

If there's anything the Sixers prove in the last two years, it's that you don't need to have the no.1 pick to get the best players in the draft.

Sixers didn't had the no.1 pick for MCW and Noel. Sixers again didn't have the no.1 pick for Embiid.

Changing the system on the other hand would just make teams with poor scouts and FO a harder time to improve their team.

This move only benefits the big market teams by eliminating the advantage that is the ONLY advantage by small market teams because of their difficulty to lure big time FA to sign with them. They will now rely on more luck in the lotto and more luck that some teams would just bend over them.

If a team has a poor FO and scouts, get better ones. No one said it would be an easy process. But if you're simply depending on luck to win, you're doing a terrible job running a team.

This big market/small market argument doesn't make sense to me. The last two teams that won a championship were not big market teams. The Thunder isn't a big market team and they are title contenders. Look at Portland, they have a young up and coming team as well and they aren't one of the highest earners, either.

It's about environment. If you have a coach/management that has the goal about building a winning organization, players will want to play there. If your direction is to lose games to get lottery picks, your organization is a losing one. Who wants to play for a losing organization? Win games and that's your bait to FAs.

Sigh. And the way to start winning games is by getting good players with high draft picks like Miami with Wade, OKC with Durant, or SAS with Duncan.

[biggestbullsfan]

So don't buy season tickets then? I mean, you act as if ownership is forcing fans to come to the games rather than what they are doing, which is forsaking their own short term profitability to try and build a championship contending team. I don't expect other teams to do anything for the Sixers other than change the rules in the middle of the game. How would you feel if the league all of a sudden said that traded draft picks cannot have protections so now every pick that has already been traded is magically unprotected?

Not sure why you asked the last question.

Because you apparently fail to understand that regardless of whether you like what the Sixers are doing, they are playing by the rules as they exist. It's unfair to change the rules without any warning when teams have already done things based on the rules that exist.

And what rule is the NBA breaking? They arent getting rid of the format. Just evening the playing field. Its not as dramatic as some people are making it seem. It takes away the power of a massive tank. Im fine with that.

Also, a full year to basically say that the NBA is chaning the percentage the worst team is getting isnt a terrible thing imo. They 76ers had a year to destroy their team in hopes of drafting the #1 prospect. They have another full year to figure out how to adjust for the new format.

And what some people fail to realize is that the 76ers arent saying the new format sucks, they are saying change it after the current format benefit serves its purpose for us. Lets stay with this model until we get what we need then do what you want. Not that they have an issue with changing it at all. Its that right there that makes me happy for the change.

[Eoghan]

Tanking is overblown. The draft lottery isn't the problem, it's the lack of NBA execs that know how to draft. The Hornets/Bobcats tanked as hard as anyone, got spurned by the lottery gods, drafted like a room full of drunken monkeys and they still managed to field a competitive team with decent upside. Tanking or no tanking, teams with bad FOs like the Kings are going to be bad regardless, they can't all be winners.