The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

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Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

I'd be so frustrated if I were a Clippers fan, I mean has Blake Griffin improved on anything since he got into the league, besides the amount of Kia/Game Fly commercials he's in?

Not much, I think he has gotten his mid-range jumper to be respectable. But if I were the opponent I'd still let him have that shot every time down the floor until he absolutely kills you with it. Better then letting CP3 get going and start racking up assists and let them run out on you.....but these are the Warriors, old habits die hard.

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Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

You are seeing why both of these teams will not make the finals this year. No defense from either team and GSW has no other reliable option outside of Curry and Thompson raining 3's all game long.

[aamcguy]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

The Clippers took 50 free throws tonight, and only 6 were due to hack-a-Jordan

[Doddage]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

Memphis Grizzlies agreement with F Quincy Pondexter is a four-year, $14 million extension, source informs @CSNNW.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 31, 2013

That's a nice deal for Memphis.

[Kstat]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

The Clippers took 50 free throws tonight, and only 6 were due to hack-a-Jordan

Mark Jackson's substitute for good defense is generally to foul the crap out of the other team, so that isn't surprising.

GSW has been in the top 5 in fouls committed every year since Jackson took over.

[vnzla81]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

Henry Abbott @TrueHoop 17h
Stan Van Gundy's HoopIdea to fix tanking: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/pos...to-fix-tanking …


Other ideas in how to fix tanking, I believe that the only way to fix it is to give all 14 teams the same odds to win the lottery.

[vnzla81]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

[BillS]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

Haven't we seen all of those before? I really don't understand the idea that you fix tanking by giving the best team to miss the playoffs the number 1 pick, or by setting up a bidding war for rookie players that basically means they go to LA, Chicago, NY, or whatever team is currently winning (which will become either LA, Chicago, or NY under such a scheme).

I think you fix tanking by making sure the team that gets the #1 pick is really the worst team, not the one that can fake it for a season or has some "bad" luck.

The "fixes" suggested are really just things that will make the media coverage more "exciting" - huge headlines for an all-team lottery, big speculation in the blogs for which big-market team will land the Kentucky player who wants to be on the biggest possible stage, what team will pay LeBron $70M since he is so pissed at his last team being unable to surround him with quality talent for $2M for 12 players.

[Unclebuck]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

Henry Abbott @TrueHoop 17h
Stan Van Gundy's HoopIdea to fix tanking: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/pos...to-fix-tanking …


Other ideas in how to fix tanking, I believe that the only way to fix it is to give all 14 teams the same odds to win the lottery.

wouldn't that cause a bigger problems.

I mean if you wanting to fix tanking 100%, why not just give the team with the best record the first draft pick. That way we know every team in the NBA will want to get the best record.

[mattie]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

I still don't think it's as big of a problem as everyone says it is.

I mean- everyone keeps complaining about tanking but it's astounding how many teams are NOT tanking in what Bill Simmons called the most loaded draft since 1984.

Is it REALLY a problem?? Tanking teams give up assets, making other teams stronger- when teams are much more willing to trade, it makes it easier for teams to re-arrange their rosters for potentially good to great teams- There are at least 6 great teams in the NBA right now. Normally there is usually about 3 great teams that you can see compete for a championship.

Not only are there 6 great teams, there are at least 9 other teams that have the makings of a future powerhouse. There's a lot of teams with bright futures now, the league is as competitive as it has ever been.

I don't think tanking is a problem.

[Heisenberg]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

Definitely with StanVan on getting rid of max contracts

[Strummer]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

I think you fix tanking by making sure the team that gets the #1 pick is really the worst team, not the one that can fake it for a season or has some "bad" luck.

But under the current system there's incentive to be the worst team. So teams gut themselves to become non-competitive and end up with high picks in multiple years. It's not tanking as in "not playing as good as we could", it's tanking as in "let's assemble a bad team and lose for awhile".

People are trying to take away the incentive to be the very worse team in the league. They want to change the current climate where there are 2-3 teams every year that are intentionally non-competitive. One way to do this is to create a situation in which the bad teams have to win to fight for the best pick (for example by reversing the lottery odds). It has nothing to do with making the lottery more exciting or steering the best players to the big markets. It's just about taking away the incentive to be the worst.

[vnzla81]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

wouldn't that cause a bigger problems.

I mean if you wanting to fix tanking 100%, why not just give the team with the best record the first draft pick. That way we know every team in the NBA will want to get the best record.

Your idea would create Super teams and the teams that suck won't have the chance to get better, giving all 14 teams the same odds as I'm suggesting stops teams for trying to be the worse they can be like the Bobcats, Phoenix and Sixers this year, the only thing I don't like about my suggestion is that is going to create a lot of mediocre teams like Milwaukee.

[aamcguy]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

Your idea would create Super teams and the teams that suck won't have the chance to get better, giving all 14 teams the same odds as I'm suggesting stops teams for trying to be the worse they can be like the Bobcats, Phoenix and Sixers this year, the only thing I don't like about my suggestion is that is going to create a lot of mediocre teams like Milwaukee.

It wasn't really an idea, it was more a comment on the system. Teams will tank as long as there is a benefit to losing. In the current system, if you are a bottom 3 team you are guaranteed at absolute worst the sixth pick in the draft. Changing the odds wouldn't change that, and teams would still tank.

Personally, I don't see what the big deal in tanking is. If you want to throw the late-lottery teams a bone, you could just invert the 2nd round selections so the 14th team gets the 1st pick in the 2nd round, the 13th gets the 2nd, etc.

[BillS]

Re: The 10th NBA Random Thoughts thread 2013-2014: Coveting Miami's Crown

But under the current system there's incentive to be the worst team. So teams gut themselves to become non-competitive and end up with high picks in multiple years. It's not tanking as in "not playing as good as we could", it's tanking as in "let's assemble a bad team and lose for awhile".

People are trying to take away the incentive to be the very worse team in the league. They want to change the current climate where there are 2-3 teams every year that are intentionally non-competitive. One way to do this is to create a situation in which the bad teams have to win to fight for the best pick (for example by reversing the lottery odds). It has nothing to do with making the lottery more exciting or steering the best players to the big markets. It's just about taking away the incentive to be the worst.

I didn't say the current system was working. I just don't think replacing it with something that gives up even trying to address what the draft is there for is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

I am on record as saying you get rid of the lottery and make draft position based on a rolling average of the last 5 years, with restrictions on number of #1 picks and even top 3 picks (to foil the Sterlings of the world). No team will be willing to suck for 5 years to get a guaranteed #1 pick in a draft they won't know who is in it for at least 3 years into their campaign. Even big market teams with almost guaranteed attendance would find it hard to make it through that kind of timeframe. The best part is that teams "stuck" in the middle usually won't stay stuck under such a model - especially teams with losing records who make the playoffs in a bad conference. Teams that "rebuild" will still have a couple of years of flying high to work past before leapfrogging the middle teams for better draft position. You still won't end up with the #1 pick, but I'd see a lot mor 9-10 picks from teams that have struggled to get beyond the middle of the road. Not only that but the value of draft picks for a trade becomes a heck of a lot easier to assess.

Why won't this be done? For one reason and one reason only - it doesn't make for great television. Period.

And isn't "the bad teams have to win" a bit of an oxymoron? What you're fixing is that the teams who are PRETENDING to be bad have to win - which they can do. The teams that are REALLY bad just stay that way.