Casey and DeRozan were not impressed that Hollinger's prediction was too optimistic? If they played at their current rate, they would get 12 wins only.
NOPE...and we got the 23 year old locked up, with Lin....not anyone Not any of the overhyped UK team-that's prob the top 2 again, maybe of course...
...and anyways it's top 3 protected this year, so it'd have had to been the 4th-10th pick, with option of deferrals, for the first year, then the following draft was only top 2, or just the number 1 pick...I forgot the issue so soon after James the beard got here Regardless...even that question, of top 3...it'd have been out of the top 3 had we been getting it this year
So, since OKC has this pick and toronto is now 4-18, should we root for Toronto to turn it around or to continuing losing, so the pick becomes protected (which is risky). Which one is more risky, if our goal is that OKC gets the least for that pick?
damn. this is going to derail into the discussion about the Harden trade. Water under the bridge. I probably should have started a new thread. My new question is about should we root for Toronto to win or lose wrt OKC getting the least from the pick. Win to make it a worse pick, or lose to make it protected (which carries some risk that it turns into a #4, best case for OKC).
I'm going for losses at this point. Would rather OKC gets a '14 lottery pick. (But am torn by wanting Gobert to don the Blue, Thunder Red, Yellow, and Dark Blue!)
This does look to be a pretty weak draft though. If they do get the pick it won't be the top 3. I'm really not worried about it. If Harden becomes a superstar it really becomes irrelevant with what the Thunder draft unless they draft the next HOF player in that spot.
The point, which should be VERY clear, is if we have any hope of beating OKC in the future, we want this pick to suck for them. So, how do you root for Toronto. Lose to get the pick into the protected zone, or win to release it this year but with a 10 or above pick. Why is this about Harden? Are people still stuck on arguing the trade, still? I thought we were over that. Apparently not.
GMs usually don't make trades based on "Am I making the other team better?" they make trades based on "Am I making my team better?"...that's why Morey was ready to take Pau Gasol and give the Lakers Chris Paul. Because he thought it made his team better period. I'm of the same mindset, get your house in order before you start worrying about someone else's. If we get another star player and Yes, this is always about Harden. If he truly becomes the best SG in the NBA after Wade and Kobe are gone or when father time starts to drag them down then why does it really matter what the Thunder got in the trade? The only way we'd truly regret this trade is if Lamb or the Raptors pick becomes significantly better than Harden. I don't understand how this pick ISN'T about Harden? 5 years from now when people judge this trade they will look at Lamb and the draft pick and weigh it against what Harden has done. The main point being is if Harden becomes a superstar player then what does it matter who they draft? The Rockets would have just hoped to acquire a superstar player through drafting him or trading the pick for one any ways.
^ nevermind. You're stuck on talking about the trade. Hasn't that been talk about ad nauseam. I should have made a thread about OKC: do we want them to get a 10 or above pick this year or do we root for Toronto to continue losing and fall into protected range to delay the pick (which risks the lottery balls falling the wrong way). What is the best approach for ensuring a western conference contender getting least bang for their pick.
the way to ensure they get least bang for this pick is to hypnotize Sam Presti and tell him to draft someone like Darko. Even with a 14th draft, they have a chance to draft someone like Ginobili, my friend.
I discussed the pick. This is a weak draft, the top 3 players people aren't even sure about. So i'm not worried about it. Said that. Hope Toronto turns it around a bit and gets like the 7th pick or something, this draft looks very meh on paper...the following draft though, you really do not want them getting the 5th or so pick in the 2014 draft if you are worried about them getting better. It's not like OKC is going to to the luxury if they do draft a stud, they'll just ask him to sacrifice for the good of the team. They are not going to be willing to go over the cap like the big market teams are any ways so they will always be up against it with Russ and Durant. Any ways...the picks are part of the trade. When the pick is made they will reference the trade, years from now they will judge the trade. It was a pretty big trade, so yeah people are still stuck on it.
Yeah, they have a chance to draft someone like Ginobili with their own pick and their 2nd round pick too, considering Ginobili was picked last in the draft. That's not really much of a point, now is it? I'm thinking if the pick goes top 3 protected, Toronto could land someone who helps them make the playoffs next year, which makes the pick protected again. It's protected both ways. Which means, OKC will probably pass again. That could be best case for screwing a conference foe.
hp, it's still too early in the season to root for Toronto to continue losing, imo. They've played about as bad as they can (some crazy losses), and their schedule gets easier. They have 4 wins. There's 12 other teams with 9 or less wins still. So they're not that far away from where they always ends up: picking around 8-12 I'm rooting for them to win.
