[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 I work a boring 9-5 job and like to waste as much time as humanly possible reading about the NBA. As a lifelong Orlando Magic fan, naturally I am really interested and invested in the upcoming draft. Thank God for forums like this, because if I were relying on the professional journalists at ESPN.com to sustain me, I might actually prefer doing my job.

 Since February 12th, ESPN.com’s crack draft-coverage team has churned out 3 "Tank Rank" articles and that’s pretty much it. "Tank Rank" is the laziest, most boring, vapid, and downright terrible recurring article I have had the displeasure of reading. If you aren’t familiar with the format, it is essentially a ranking of the top-10 teams that are successfully positioning themselves for a favorable pick in the draft. Like most Power Rankings, each team has a few sentence explanation on their ranking. It sucks.

I guess the reason I’m writing this is because I’m hoping someone will either commiserate or point me in the direction of some recent and interesting articles about the upcoming draft. Anyways, thanks for letting me vent!

 

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 You don’t have to look anywhere else! You are in the right place to where you can get feedback, versus just reading someone else’s work and not be able to speak your opinion or get them to speak on what they have wrote about. For the most part I’d say keep looking for YouTube videos and I’m not necessarily speaking on highlight or mixtape clips. There are plenty of people like us who are intuned with the draft as well and constantly post updated videos on prospect breakdowns.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 You don’t have to look anywhere else! You are in the right place to where you can get feedback, versus just reading someone else’s work and not be able to speak your opinion or get them to speak on what they have wrote about. For the most part I’d say keep looking for YouTube videos and I’m not necessarily speaking on highlight or mixtape clips. There are plenty of people like us who are intuned with the draft as well and constantly post updated videos on prospect breakdowns.

[The QParticipant]

 I love the tank rank. 

Calls out the teams, like Philly, who are shamelessly trying to lose. 

 

 

[The QParticipant]

 I love the tank rank. 

Calls out the teams, like Philly, who are shamelessly trying to lose. 

 

 

[juves4783Participant]

 yeah, it’s a pretty bad read.  no doubt 76ers should be ranked #1 from here on out.

[juves4783Participant]

 yeah, it’s a pretty bad read.  no doubt 76ers should be ranked #1 from here on out.

[terrancebowerParticipant]

Give Bleacherreport a try, thay have decent articles but the thing I like about it is that there are a lot of rankings, they update their mock somewhat regularly, and there are just a ton of articles on each team both NBa and CBB. Slamonline has very, very good articles, but the volume of draft related content is low. Personally I prefer this site above all else because of the good discussions and feedback. In general, this site seems to have the smartest fans compared to sites like DX (which I hate).

[terrancebowerParticipant]

Give Bleacherreport a try, thay have decent articles but the thing I like about it is that there are a lot of rankings, they update their mock somewhat regularly, and there are just a ton of articles on each team both NBa and CBB. Slamonline has very, very good articles, but the volume of draft related content is low. Personally I prefer this site above all else because of the good discussions and feedback. In general, this site seems to have the smartest fans compared to sites like DX (which I hate).

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 I do check BR pretty regularly. The quality isn’t always GREAT and a lot of their commenters are just the worst, but they do a much better job than most of giving regularly updated content. I get/really enjoy Slam magazine, so maybe I’ll start checking out their online stuff. Thanks for the tip!

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 I do check BR pretty regularly. The quality isn’t always GREAT and a lot of their commenters are just the worst, but they do a much better job than most of giving regularly updated content. I get/really enjoy Slam magazine, so maybe I’ll start checking out their online stuff. Thanks for the tip!

[PhillytheKid]

Are not "tanking" they’re making smart moves for the future.  

We’ve had bad and long Iquodala Chris Webber and Elton Brand contracts for too long.  Its about time we got rid of all of that.  Remember a few years ago valuable cap space was?  Finally the league is getting smarter.  

Hinkie so far replaced Holiday (a little lazy not someone with a strong desire to win, nothing that really stands out about his game) with MCW and got Noel, that was a hell of a trade.

Turner is a good fit for Indiana.  As a role player he works his butt off, but he sucks as a prime option.

Spencer Hawes was also on an expiring contract.  Spencer Hawes can shoot the 3 but he’s so unathletic and can’t really defend anyone….its so stressful wishing he played more like a big man with some toughness, but he doesn’t have it.

So can you blame Hinkie for shipping them off and getting some picks for them?  You want guys you can win with…I hated Hawes, but I kind of wish they kept ET around, but ET has delusions of grandiosity, hopefully he doesn’t get near the money he thinks he deserves…GMs are getting smarter. 

[PhillytheKid]

Are not "tanking" they’re making smart moves for the future.  

We’ve had bad and long Iquodala Chris Webber and Elton Brand contracts for too long.  Its about time we got rid of all of that.  Remember a few years ago valuable cap space was?  Finally the league is getting smarter.  

Hinkie so far replaced Holiday (a little lazy not someone with a strong desire to win, nothing that really stands out about his game) with MCW and got Noel, that was a hell of a trade.

Turner is a good fit for Indiana.  As a role player he works his butt off, but he sucks as a prime option.

Spencer Hawes was also on an expiring contract.  Spencer Hawes can shoot the 3 but he’s so unathletic and can’t really defend anyone….its so stressful wishing he played more like a big man with some toughness, but he doesn’t have it.

So can you blame Hinkie for shipping them off and getting some picks for them?  You want guys you can win with…I hated Hawes, but I kind of wish they kept ET around, but ET has delusions of grandiosity, hopefully he doesn’t get near the money he thinks he deserves…GMs are getting smarter. 

[ibe12Participant]

Yep on all of your points. The NBA is a league built on all stars. The teams that have two or more win and the one’s that don’t just float in mediocrity until whatever young players they have leave or get traded and the cycle begins again. All you can do is hope your team gets a top 3 pick in a year where there’s all star caliber players in that draft. Franchise guys like Lebron or Duncan only come once every five to ten years.

[ibe12Participant]

Yep on all of your points. The NBA is a league built on all stars. The teams that have two or more win and the one’s that don’t just float in mediocrity until whatever young players they have leave or get traded and the cycle begins again. All you can do is hope your team gets a top 3 pick in a year where there’s all star caliber players in that draft. Franchise guys like Lebron or Duncan only come once every five to ten years.

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 except one.

The 76ers are definitely tanking. What you’re describing is a smart rebuilding effort…and the sum of all of the moves you listed equals tanking this season in exchange for a brighter future. 

 

 

[Scott42444Participant]

The Sixers ARE tanking, and they are smart to do so.  Good for Hinkie and good for 76ers fans.  The team will be more fun to watch with Embiid/Wiggins/Parker/Randle/Exum etc. and MCW, Noel, and whichever younger free agent they overpay than they were even a couple years ago when they were only the 2nd or 3rd team to eliminate a #1 seed from the playoffs as a #8.  That team sucked and was boring.  The team they put together could be legit in a few seasons.

[Scott42444Participant]

The Sixers ARE tanking, and they are smart to do so.  Good for Hinkie and good for 76ers fans.  The team will be more fun to watch with Embiid/Wiggins/Parker/Randle/Exum etc. and MCW, Noel, and whichever younger free agent they overpay than they were even a couple years ago when they were only the 2nd or 3rd team to eliminate a #1 seed from the playoffs as a #8.  That team sucked and was boring.  The team they put together could be legit in a few seasons.

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 except one.

The 76ers are definitely tanking. What you’re describing is a smart rebuilding effort…and the sum of all of the moves you listed equals tanking this season in exchange for a brighter future. 

 

 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

If you haven’t already is the NBADraft.net "News" section. Am sure you must check out our "Articles" and "Blog" section for content, though I really do not know if people realize that just about every draft prospect on the site has a lot of outside content linked in their player profiles. If you go to the lower portion of a prospect’s profile, you will see "Related Content", which links to articles on the site that have mentioned them. Next to that, if you want a possibly different perspective, their is a "Related News" section.

Find that this gives a lot of information on players with news on performances, many from their local outlets. On bigger NBA prospects in particular, try to get a lot of in-depth pieces. Have tried to put a few articles on at least everyones profile and while I can’t catch them all, think that you have a lot to go off of without having to rummage through Google.

Guessing this suggestion is probably not all you were looking for, just know that we should be coming out with a lot of content as a site right before and during March Madness. We will get a clearer idea as to who is staying and going, while also getting a chance to check out the high school All-Star practices and games for future prospects. Find that I definitely enjoy learning about these prospects and seeing that you wanted to read more coverage, this could be a cool thing to do if you want to maybe see some things you possibly hadn’t before.

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

Thank you very much! 

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

Thank you very much! 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

If you haven’t already is the NBADraft.net "News" section. Am sure you must check out our "Articles" and "Blog" section for content, though I really do not know if people realize that just about every draft prospect on the site has a lot of outside content linked in their player profiles. If you go to the lower portion of a prospect’s profile, you will see "Related Content", which links to articles on the site that have mentioned them. Next to that, if you want a possibly different perspective, their is a "Related News" section.

Find that this gives a lot of information on players with news on performances, many from their local outlets. On bigger NBA prospects in particular, try to get a lot of in-depth pieces. Have tried to put a few articles on at least everyones profile and while I can’t catch them all, think that you have a lot to go off of without having to rummage through Google.

Guessing this suggestion is probably not all you were looking for, just know that we should be coming out with a lot of content as a site right before and during March Madness. We will get a clearer idea as to who is staying and going, while also getting a chance to check out the high school All-Star practices and games for future prospects. Find that I definitely enjoy learning about these prospects and seeing that you wanted to read more coverage, this could be a cool thing to do if you want to maybe see some things you possibly hadn’t before.

[Land of GrantParticipant]

 And when they do something original, it’s usually a hack like Haberstroh.

Only worthwhile regularly contributing bball guys espn has are Ford (love his chats), Lowe, and Simmons (who doesn’t write much anymore). Check out Grantland, they’ve got some good stuff.

 

 

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 but there is not a huge focus on the draft. I listen to most of the podcasts over there (big fan of Grantland podcasts). I actually really like Ford, but he "disappears" for weeks at a time from the site. Lowe is quite possibly my favorite basketball writer, but he doesn’t really focus on draft prospects.

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 but there is not a huge focus on the draft. I listen to most of the podcasts over there (big fan of Grantland podcasts). I actually really like Ford, but he "disappears" for weeks at a time from the site. Lowe is quite possibly my favorite basketball writer, but he doesn’t really focus on draft prospects.

[Land of GrantParticipant]

 And when they do something original, it’s usually a hack like Haberstroh.

Only worthwhile regularly contributing bball guys espn has are Ford (love his chats), Lowe, and Simmons (who doesn’t write much anymore). Check out Grantland, they’ve got some good stuff.

 

 

[rileymcshea3Participant]

 I’ve never even thought about reading the "Tank Rank" because of 2 main reasons. 

First of all it’s a power ranking so like most power rankings you have to changed it up a bit, even when it’s not necessary at all. You can’t really blame them, because people won’t come back to look at the rankings if they stay the same the whole season.

Second of all if I want to see who is the best at putting them selves in the best position for a draft pick I can simply go check the standings. I’m not an idiot, I think I can see who has more wins.

[rileymcshea3Participant]

 I’ve never even thought about reading the "Tank Rank" because of 2 main reasons. 

First of all it’s a power ranking so like most power rankings you have to changed it up a bit, even when it’s not necessary at all. You can’t really blame them, because people won’t come back to look at the rankings if they stay the same the whole season.

Second of all if I want to see who is the best at putting them selves in the best position for a draft pick I can simply go check the standings. I’m not an idiot, I think I can see who has more wins.

[DolanCareParticipant]

 Preaaach, Foxdashman. Unfortunately nba draft fans are a minority… even in the sports community. I just personally wish there were more podcasts. Chad Ford should capitalize on this. 

[DolanCareParticipant]

 Preaaach, Foxdashman. Unfortunately nba draft fans are a minority… even in the sports community. I just personally wish there were more podcasts. Chad Ford should capitalize on this. 

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 I think ESPN must have been intimidated by this thread because ESPN’s Mockdraft 3.0 was just released! Raaaawwwwwrrrr!!!

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 Players’ ages are wrong. The Celtics are listed with the wrong (Brooklyn/Atlanta) pick. More importantly, I totally disagree with the picks. Judge for yourself, I’ve listed them below. Thoughts?

1. Bucks – Joel Embiid
2. 76ers – Andrew Wiggins
3. Magic – Dante Exum
4. Celtics – Jabari Parker
5. Nuggets – Marcus Smart
6. Lakers – Julius Randle
7. Jazz – Aaron Gordon
8. Kings – Tyler Ennis
9. Cavs – James Young
10. 76ers – Noah Vonleh
11. Bobcats – Gary Harris
12. Magic – Dario Saric
13. Timberwolves – Rodney Hood
14. Grizzlies – Doug McDermott
15. Celtics – Nik Stauskas
16. Bulls – Jerami Grant
17. Hawks – K.J. McDaniels
18. Suns – Clint Capella
19. Bulls – Zach LaVine
20. Raptors – Chris Walker
21. Suns – Willie Cauley-Stein
22. Thunder – PJ Hairston
23. Jazz – Mario Hezonja
24. Bobcats – Sam Dekker (whom I thought had announced he was staying?)
25. Clippers – Montrezl Harrel
26. Rockets – Adreian Payne
27. Spurs – Jusuf Nurkic
28. Heat – Wayne Selden
29. Thunder – Vasilije Micic
30. Suns – Bogdan Bogdanovic

 

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 Players’ ages are wrong. The Celtics are listed with the wrong (Brooklyn/Atlanta) pick. More importantly, I totally disagree with the picks. Judge for yourself, I’ve listed them below. Thoughts?

1. Bucks – Joel Embiid
2. 76ers – Andrew Wiggins
3. Magic – Dante Exum
4. Celtics – Jabari Parker
5. Nuggets – Marcus Smart
6. Lakers – Julius Randle
7. Jazz – Aaron Gordon
8. Kings – Tyler Ennis
9. Cavs – James Young
10. 76ers – Noah Vonleh
11. Bobcats – Gary Harris
12. Magic – Dario Saric
13. Timberwolves – Rodney Hood
14. Grizzlies – Doug McDermott
15. Celtics – Nik Stauskas
16. Bulls – Jerami Grant
17. Hawks – K.J. McDaniels
18. Suns – Clint Capella
19. Bulls – Zach LaVine
20. Raptors – Chris Walker
21. Suns – Willie Cauley-Stein
22. Thunder – PJ Hairston
23. Jazz – Mario Hezonja
24. Bobcats – Sam Dekker (whom I thought had announced he was staying?)
25. Clippers – Montrezl Harrel
26. Rockets – Adreian Payne
27. Spurs – Jusuf Nurkic
28. Heat – Wayne Selden
29. Thunder – Vasilije Micic
30. Suns – Bogdan Bogdanovic

 

[FoxdashmanParticipant]

 I think ESPN must have been intimidated by this thread because ESPN’s Mockdraft 3.0 was just released! Raaaawwwwwrrrr!!!

[Author]

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