Another- and maybe the best Lottery Reform Idea...

MINE!!!   

NBa DRaft PRoPoSaL


with all the lotto draft proposal discusion going on I figgured id play armchair NBA Commmish and make my own suggestion.

Theres of course several sides to any argument about how to select who goes first.. giving everyone a shot – such as with a wheel- might hurt smaller market teams whose best shot at ever getting a franchise player to wear their jersey is through the draft could be seriously hurt.

On the other hand, the current system seems to reward “tanking” even though the current Commish says theres no evidence this has ever happened...

So why not a system that (A) adds intrigue to the draft (B) offers the possibility/likely hood of helping a team with a losing record gives those fringe playoff teams such as the teams in the east this season with abysmal records who still made the playoffs a chance at a lower draft pick than some of the teams from the west (this season) who did not make the playoffs (D) guarantees nothing to a team who chooses to tank for a shot at the first pick.

My proposal:

A lottery with the leagues thirty teams divided into groups- sorted first by those who make the playoffs (16 teams) and those who do not (14 teams) then, just as now, positioned according to win loss record. The lottery would begin with the 14 teams not in the playoffs.

The teams with the worst 5 records would begin the lottery with a single ping pong ball representing each team, from which the first three selections will be awarded.. hence the 5 worst teams will all start out with a 20% chance at the first pick, or at worst a 60% chance at a top 3 selection. The second pick would be decided among the four remaining teams with each having a 25% chance at that selection. The 3rd pick would be decided among the three remaining teams with eacvh having a 33% chance at winning it.

After the third selection the 6th and 7th worst teams are added to the lottery for a total of four teams for the selection of the 4th pick. After the 4th pick is won, the 8th wost team will be added to the lottery, with each new draft pick being won and assigned to a team, the next worst team moves into the lottery until all non playoff teams have entered the lottery. By the 11th lottery choice all 14 non playoff teams would be involved.

What this will have done so far is potentially given the teams with the worst records the best odds to try to get better, while preventing slightly better teams from getting involved in the selection process to early- the 6th worst team has no shot at the first 3 picks, the best non playoff team has no shot at drafting before the 11th pick ect.. But it promises nothing to team which has “tanked” the team with the worst record could be one of the last four remaining non playoff teams to win a selection.

For the 12th pick though, the lottery process would change, much like it did with the 4th pick, as it would be drawn from the three remaining non playoff teams. Once again the teams left would have a 33 % chance of winning the next draft pick position. Once the 12th pick has been won by one of the three remaining teams the last two teams will be joined by the playoff team with the worst record- those three teams will then have a equal shot at the 13th pick. Thereafter the lottery will continue to consist of three teams, as each draft pick position is won in the lottery a single team will be replace the winning team until all teams have entered the lottery.

I really like this idea, as I stated, it promises nothing to a team that tanks-its possible that the team with the worst record could still be in the lottery going after the 5th, 10th, 20th or even 29th pick- they could end up with the 30th pick even!

But it also provides a shot at equality to some teams who have the misfortune of being in the wrong conference at the wrong time. Pheonix for example last season won nearly 60% of its games yet missed the playoffs, Atlanta won 46% of its games and was a playoff team. By virtue of being a nonplayoff team the Suns have a 25% chance of picking 11th in the draft- (the best pick possible for them) if however they don't win the 11th or 12th (33% if they dont get the 11th) pick then the Hawks have an equal shot as the Suns for the 13th pick.

See I told you it was the best proposal yet...         

Matty

To expand on that just a bit.

Perhaps than taking just the past season into account use the records for the past 2-3 years regardless of being in the playoffs or not.

I know that could and would never fly but time to think outside the norm and quit rewarding incompetent management yearly with high picks.

Also perhaps if you get a top three pick one year you can get no more than a #4 pick the following year no matter how bad you suck, would insure at least 6 different teams would get a top three pick over a 2 year period.

beat