NBA Draft Reform

S.Samek

The NBA made some changes to the draft. The chance for each team to win the first overall pick has gone down to 14 percent for the three worst teams. Some of the other teams to rank low see their chances going up.

Though the common critique of this draft system is that it promotes tanking. That trying to lose games on purpose to steal the top pick and hope to develop them into franchise changing superstars. The moves were made to try and curb the tanking. Thinking that even if you finish say with the fifth, or sixth worst record you have a better chance than you did in the past to get a number one pick. You’ll have more of an incentive to win a couple extra games. I think they system is the way it is. It theory the tank get superstars, may work it may not. It’s the same in every sport too, not just basketball. Just because your drafted number one overall does not guarantee a title. Heck it doesn’t guarantee any degree of success. True you could be the transcendent talent your team seeks. There’s no doubt Laron James was what Cleveland wanted him to be. Sidney Crosby, or Mario Lemieux saved the Penguins and won them cups. It can work to select your team this way. Though for every superstar you need role players. Crosby can’t play four other positions and goalie now can he. Even Michael Jorden needed Scotty Pippen and three other guys on the floor with him. What’s to say some of the elite players couldn’t hold their own going one on five. I doubt it though. That’s why it’s a team sport. One person can’t win the game all alone. They can help, make that one big play happen, or score the game winner, but they needed some help to get to that moment.

Stan Van Gundy of the Detroit Pistons has a solution better than the draft. Cancel the draft and all rookies that would be eligible become free agents. The teams sign them and try and stay under the salary cap.

It’s a cool idea. They only problem is what’s stopping all the top picks from trying to sign in one place and form a super team. My only way to stop that would be the salary cap. What’s wrong with forming super teams. I think you should try and build a super team and go out and win titles. Though if you can keep some degree of fairness to stop it from just being blowout after blowout and having the same team win all the time that would be nice to. Fun think about sports though is that the best team doesn’t always win. The underdog after gets their day and upsets the super team it challenges. Sports are not won on paper they are won on the court, or field. Singing the best free agents doesn’t guarantee you win the championship, or even make the playoffs. Case and point this season with the Washington Mystic’s who only made it to the semi-finals after having the best offseason. Yes, they made the playoffs and had more success than past years, but still didn’t win it all.

Drafts are part of the fun, they are a major event for fans. It would be losing out on a great marketing tool to get rid of the draft. They system isn’t perfect, but at least give it a try to see if it works. Then if not just vote to change it.