NBA Top Four Draft Choices Belong To...

[TheDeuce]

They aren’t trading the pick or Zion, and they’d be fools to trade AD to the Lakers.

[bugatti]

New Orleans played the Anthony Davis trade demand perfectly. They didn't give into the Laker/LeBron/Paul pressure and are sitting nicely. For instance, I believe they can trade Davis to the Knicks for a couple of solid assets along with the #3 pick. That is better than Ingram, Lonzo, and Kuzma.

[futurecoach]

New Orleans played the Anthony Davis trade demand perfectly. They didn't give into the Laker/LeBron/Paul pressure and are sitting nicely. For instance, I believe they can trade Davis to the Knicks for a couple of solid assets along with the #3 pick. That is better than Ingram, Lonzo, and Kuzma.

 

If the Pelicans do trade Davis to New York. Then we may see Williamson and Barrett as teammates in the NBA too then. I would assume they would get the #3 pick, Knox, and another 1st round pick and something else. That definitely would be a nice little core to build around. Plus I would assume they still would struggle next year, because they would be so young. So they should have a top 10 pick next year too with that.

[bugatti]

If the Pelicans do trade Davis to New York. Then we may see Williamson and Barrett as teammates in the NBA too then. I would assume they would get the #3 pick, Knox, and another 1st round pick and something else. That definitely would be a nice little core to build around. Plus I would assume they still would struggle next year, because they would be so young. So they should have a top 10 pick next year too with that.

 

Additionally, the group New Orleans presently has (sans Davis) is not that bad. Not world beaters, but they are a formidable NBA team. Davis - who I was disappointed in this past year - was the center of this year's turmoil. Getting him out will be addition by subtraction.

[Voice of Reason]

If anyone ever tries to claim the lottery is fixed, last night should end that thought for good. The two smallest NBA markets have low odds and still get the top two picks. End of debate. Can you imagine the claims of fix if the Lakers and Knicks were 1 and 2?

[TheDeuce]

If anyone ever tries to claim the lottery is fixed, last night should end that thought for good. The two smallest NBA markets have low odds and still get the top two picks. End of debate. Can you imagine the claims of fix if the Lakers and Knicks were 1 and 2?

 

Or you fix it to where the biggest prospect in over a decade goes to a small market, elevating that market, while the Lakers and Knicks still get Top 5 picks.

[futurecoach]

If anyone ever tries to claim the lottery is fixed, last night should end that thought for good. The two smallest NBA markets have low odds and still get the top two picks. End of debate. Can you imagine the claims of fix if the Lakers and Knicks were 1 and 2?

 

Eh there definitely could be a claim to be made that it is fixed. What was one of the bigger issues facing the NBA lately? That is teams tanking during the season to get the top overall pick. They changed the process for the lottery to try to discourage tanking, and the way this lottery played out did exactly what the NBA wanted. The three teams that had the top odds for the top pick only got the 3rd, 6th, and 7th picks because of the new process.

 

Say if the Knicks had got the top overall pick still. Then it would show this new process didn't do much to help prevent teams from wanting to tank. How it played out definitely did exactly what the NBA wanted, and that is to try to discourage teams from tanking. Coincidence enough the Knicks still were able to get the 3rd pick, while the Suns and Cavs fell all the way to 6th and 7th. So the Knicks still get at least one of the top 3 guys. While at the same time the Lakers moved basically from 11th to 4th.

 

If you are going to rig the lottery you can't make it obvious by having the Knicks and Lakers pick 1 and 2 lol. So I do think the whole the NBA fixes the lottery argument is still there with how this played out.

[Voice of Reason]

Or you fix it to where the biggest prospect in over a decade goes to a small market, elevating that market, while the Lakers and Knicks still get Top 5 picks.

 

LOL! I guess people can make everything that happens, no matter which way it goes, into a conspiracy if they want to.

[TheDeuce]

LOL! I guess people can make everything that happens, no matter which way it goes, into a conspiracy if they want to.

 

The fact that there is actual proof of NBA officials fixing games, you'll never be able to convince a lot of people it isn't fixed. I'm in that camp.

[ggclfan]

LOL! I guess people can make everything that happens, no matter which way it goes, into a conspiracy if they want to.

 

LOL indeed. There is NO WAY the Commissioner who makes $20MM+ per year and the owners (billionaires) are going to take a chance of going to jail (for fraud) by fixing the draft lottery. Anyone thinking clearly should know that. The NBA prints money and the owners and commissioner would never risk it all to fix where any individual player goes.

 

Now an official making MUCH LESS than that could be tempted to fix games (that has obviously happened and any sports league needs to always be watching out for that).

[ggclfan]

Eh there definitely could be a claim to be made that it is fixed. What was one of the bigger issues facing the NBA lately? That is teams tanking during the season to get the top overall pick. They changed the process for the lottery to try to discourage tanking, and the way this lottery played out did exactly what the NBA wanted. The three teams that had the top odds for the top pick only got the 3rd, 6th, and 7th picks because of the new process.

 

Say if the Knicks had got the top overall pick still. Then it would show this new process didn't do much to help prevent teams from wanting to tank. How it played out definitely did exactly what the NBA wanted, and that is to try to discourage teams from tanking. Coincidence enough the Knicks still were able to get the 3rd pick, while the Suns and Cavs fell all the way to 6th and 7th. So the Knicks still get at least one of the top 3 guys. While at the same time the Lakers moved basically from 11th to 4th.

 

If you are going to rig the lottery you can't make it obvious by having the Knicks and Lakers pick 1 and 2 lol. So I do think the whole the NBA fixes the lottery argument is still there with how this played out.

 

So is there any way the lottery could have played out where you would say it was not fixed? It seems no matter what happened, you are saying it may be fixed.

[futurecoach]

So is there any way the lottery could have played out where you would say it was not fixed? It seems no matter what happened, you are saying it may be fixed.

 

Because it is very possible it is fixed. Your reaction and how you seem to think its impossible to think they would fix it. Is the same reaction many people would have had if someone had said NBA refs have fixed games before. It wouldn't have been something people believed, but as we came to find out it definitely has happened.

 

Now I don't think it is something that is an every year thing. But I do think it is something that happens at times to help get things to go in a way the NBA wants.

[sweet16]

LOL! I guess people can make everything that happens, no matter which way it goes, into a conspiracy if they want to.

 

It’s my father-in-law on everything. He drives me nuts.

[NEERFAN]

New Orleans played the Anthony Davis trade demand perfectly. They didn't give into the Laker/LeBron/Paul pressure and are sitting nicely. For instance, I believe they can trade Davis to the Knicks for a couple of solid assets along with the #3 pick. That is better than Ingram, Lonzo, and Kuzma.

 

The Knicks don't have many assets.

[rsmith6971]

What are the chances that Zion returns to Duke rather than going to a small NBA market?