Official BKN Pick Watch Thread 2016 Season [3.0]

[Devassa]

16 + Crowder is mediocre return for Rondo, and I love Jae. But Ainge is a genius I guess

Um...the Dallas Mavericks disagree with you.

Yep. Boston made out like bandits in the trade no question. My hats off to Danny Ainge. Brilliant move.

[Envelope]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

[truth18]

16 + Crowder is mediocre return for Rondo, and I love Jae. But Ainge is a genius I guess

Um...the Dallas Mavericks disagree with you.

Yep. Boston made out like bandits in the trade no question. My hats off to Danny Ainge. Brilliant move.

Thanks, man! And what a win last night! Its nice to go back to rooting hard for the Mavs after being forced to bite my tongue all season.

[truth18]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

Its the mob manipulating lines through their control of refs.

Its not the league brass with some conspiracy to have certain teams win or lose.

[SMTBSI]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

The answer to [suspect, means, motive, opportunity] for that potential Donaghy "coverup" are very different than for a lottery conspiracy.
Edit: beaten to that point by truth ^

I'm not asking to be convinced that corruption doesn't exist. I'm asking to be convinced that rigging the lotto is something that could actually be pulled off, and has any reason to be.

[Envelope]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

Its the mob manipulating lines through their control of refs.

Its not the league brass with some conspiracy to have certain teams win or lose.

League brass supervises the refs. There are games where the fix is in, and the league never punishes the ref(s) for intentionally swaying the course of the game.

[SMTBSI]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

Its the mob manipulating lines through their control of refs.

Its not the league brass with some conspiracy to have certain teams win or lose.

League brass supervises the refs. There are games where the fix is in, and the league never punishes the ref(s) for intentionally swaying the course of the game.

Envelope, here's the thing. You could be completely right here, and it doesn't amount to a shred of evidence for a lotto conspiracy. You're changing the subject.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Gun to my head, I'm still saying it's at least been slightly tinkered with at least once in the history of the lotto, but much less likely in recent times.

I am much less confident about the statement "the NBA lottery has never been manipulated in its history".

Bill Simmons posted an article roughly 10 years ago the convinced me the 1985 NBA draft was rigged:

http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/blog/index?name=simmons&entryDate=20070419

The video, since removed, was quite damning. The clear as day tapped one of the envelopes. And then it appeared as if the tapped envelope was the one drawn. Funny how quickly they changed the system following this.

[truth18]

Its the mob manipulating lines through their control of refs.

Its not the league brass with some conspiracy to have certain teams win or lose.

League brass supervises the refs. There are games where the fix is in, and the league never punishes the ref(s) for intentionally swaying the course of the game.

Envelope, here's the thing. You could be completely right here, and it doesn't amount to a shred of evidence for a lotto conspiracy. You're changing the subject.

He is correct but his reasoning is off. Some people would like to believe the league brass is heavily manipulating things for certain teams or against the Celtics. It's because it's easier to believe that than the truth: that the mob fixes games for monetary gain and the lotto hasn't gone the way they want it to.

[Envelope]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

The answer to [suspect, means, motive, opportunity] for that potential Donaghy "coverup" are very different than for a lottery conspiracy.
Edit: beaten to that point by truth ^

I'm not asking to be convinced that corruption doesn't exist. I'm asking to be convinced that rigging the lotto is something that could actually be pulled off, and has any reason to be.

For one thing, not just anybody can buy an NBA franchise. The bidder has to be approved by the cozy group of owners.

It's like a Masonic lodge, with basketball games.

Kind of like how half the refs come from one small area in PA.

[truth18]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

The answer to [suspect, means, motive, opportunity] for that potential Donaghy "coverup" are very different than for a lottery conspiracy.
Edit: beaten to that point by truth ^

I'm not asking to be convinced that corruption doesn't exist. I'm asking to be convinced that rigging the lotto is something that could actually be pulled off, and has any reason to be.

For one thing, not just anybody can buy an NBA franchise. The bidder has to be approved by the cozy group of owners.

It's like a Masonic lodge, with basketball games.

Kind of like how half the refs come from one small area in PA.

Here we go with some Mason ****.

Regarding the bolded: again, that's because of the mob.

[SMTBSI]

When crooked ref Tim Donaghy was busted, Stern immediately came out and declared that it was just one ref. He didn't say, "we're investigating everything", he started the investigation by declaring the case closed.

The answer to [suspect, means, motive, opportunity] for that potential Donaghy "coverup" are very different than for a lottery conspiracy.
Edit: beaten to that point by truth ^

I'm not asking to be convinced that corruption doesn't exist. I'm asking to be convinced that rigging the lotto is something that could actually be pulled off, and has any reason to be.

For one thing, not just anybody can buy an NBA franchise. The bidder has to be approved by the cozy group of owners.

It's like a Masonic lodge, with basketball games.

Kind of like how half the refs come from one small area in PA.

Exactly what are you submitting this as an explanation of? Are you a proponent of the theory that owners of all 30 NBA teams are aware of and involved in fixing the lotto?

You are changing subject so fast I can't conclude that your motive is anything other than to obfuscate.

[SMTBSI]

First step towards making this conversation more productive: watch the airing of the 2015 lotto here.


Here are the players:

With us today is John Week from the Smart Play company. Smart play manufactures machines for state lotteries across the country, and built the one we'll use here this evening. Smart Play has also weighed, measured, and certified all the ping pong balls that will be used.

Overseeing and verifying the entire process today is Denise Pelli form the accounting firm of Ernst & Young. When the drawing is finished, she will place the team logo cards into the envelope, seal them, and deliver them to NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum.

Lastly we have 12 members of the media joining us, as well as a video crew from NBA entertainment, to document the proceeding. The video of the drawing will be posted on NBA.com and the gametime app immediately after the results are publicly revealed.

[Devassa]

Um...the Dallas Mavericks disagree with you.

Yep. Boston made out like bandits in the trade no question. My hats off to Danny Ainge. Brilliant move.

Thanks, man! And what a win last night! Its nice to go back to rooting hard for the Mavs after being forced to bite my tongue all season.

We appreciate it! Big fan of the Celtics and Marcus Smart as well (watched him back in HS)

Hoping yall end up with Ingram or Simmons after draft night!

[SMTBSI]

League brass supervises the refs. There are games where the fix is in, and the league never punishes the ref(s) for intentionally swaying the course of the game.

Envelope, here's the thing. You could be completely right here, and it doesn't amount to a shred of evidence for a lotto conspiracy. You're changing the subject.

He is correct but his reasoning is off. Some people would like to believe the league brass is heavily manipulating things for certain teams or against the Celtics. It's because it's easier to believe that than the truth: that the mob fixes games for monetary gain and the lotto hasn't gone the way they want it to.

That's my point when I say that the [suspect, means, motive, opportunity] for a ref conspiracy is not the same as for a lotto conspiracy.

Pointing out that there are corrupt people out there looking for personal gain, isn't a carte blanche validation of every possible conspiracy theory.

[mbsnmisc]

I love the C's and the NBA. If it came out that is just entertainment programming like the WWE and the passion that I expended on this frachise over my 53 years was like rooting for John Cena against the Rock, I would be devastated.

[chakdaddy]

I'm pretty certain with our luck the top 3 will be
1.LA
2.Phx
3. Philly

We might get 3rd though

[peachbucket]

I'm pretty certain with our luck the top 3 will be
1.LA
2.Phx
3. Philly

We might get 3rd though

I like it...if your pessimistic then you can't be disappointed.

[celticfan42487]

Well, if the playoffs have taught us anything. It's 1) we need a star, and 2) we need a full blown #1 option that can score in playoff basketball.

So with that in mind, looks like for the Celtics you have to prefer Ingram over Simmons on the board.

[Andrew McCeltic]

Let's not kid ourselves folks. The Lakers are getting that 1st pick overall. Pretty sure that the sealed envelope with the Lakers logo in it is just sitting in Adam's inbox on his desk, waiting to be opened on lottery day.

The NBA draft conspiracy theory is the strangest of all conspiracy theories to me. Since the Ewing draft that spawned it, loser cities and franchises have won it almost exclusively. Cavs won the #1 pick five times, including Lebron. Orlando won 3 times, including the Webber and Shaq drafts. San Antonio lands both DRob and Duncan. New Orleans lands Anthony Davis. Towns to Minnesota. NJ, Milwaukee, Clippers all win twice.

Meanwhile, most of the high-profile teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks etc always seem to slip.

Not a shred of evidence to support anything but the most bizarre of conspiracy theories, yet the myth sustains.

It's actually the loser-city luck that makes it seem like a conspiracy. Cavs lose Lebron, get Irving the next year. New Orleans has to trade Chris Paul, gets Anthony Davis. Minnesota has to trade Kevin Love, wins the lottery a year later.

There could be some inside politics where small market owners are crying bloody murder and the league says, don't worry, we'll make it up to you in the draft.