I was wondering what you guys thought about this: I ask the question strictly from a player's perspective. So the question is: Is it better for a rookie from his perspective to be drafted by a playoff team if he can't get playing time or is it better for a player from his perspective to be drafted by a lottery team and get immediate minutes from day 1 and not have to worry about mistakes putting him on the bench. Some Advantages of being drafted from a playoff team. 1. Chance to get a ring. Most players never get one. 2. Chance to possibly understudy an all star 3. Chance to be in a winning environment from year #1 4. Chance to practice against against a unit of top players. Some Disadvantages 1. Might take a number of years before getting minutes 2. Might slow the development of the player's game due to getting a lot fewer minutes and also not getting in pressure situations from which to learn and grow. 3. After rookie contract is complete the next contract will probably be for less than if the player had a chance to play significantly more minutes. 4. Might not get any minutes for a couple of years and get buried in the D league. I am leaning to it is better for a player to get drafted by a lottery team.
In order to get drafted by a lottery team, you have to be one of the top picks. So, here's your catch-22. If you are drafted in the top 10, you are almost guaranteed to go to the losing team baring any trades. However, if you're in the bottom 10, you will most likely end up on a winning team.
Definitely playing for a loser. Did a quick glance at prior drafts; and Maxiell is probably the most developed player, playing for a good team, over the past five years. And the falloff after him is awful. The next closest is Beno Udrih, but he didn't improve until he left San Antonio and got some real pt. And, there have been some steals in the later rounds, but for the most part they played for bad teams. Leandro Barbosa, 28th pick by the Spurs, got traded to Phoenix, and played 25+ mpg his rookie year on a 29 win team.
I think I understand what you are saying which is only the best players are drafted by lottery teams and the playoff teams draft the players of lesser of quality so a player doesn't have a choice? You are answering the question from a perspective of what happens most of the time so a player really doesn't have a choice between the two. So I will modify my question to try and clarify it according to what my intent was in asking it. 1. Which player will develop faster and get all the associated benefits with that? The player drafted by the lottery team or playoff team or is there no difference, taking into account your comments. 2. Assuming it is the player with the lottery team who will develop faster will he maintain that benefit over his career? 3. Does being drafted by a playoff team adversely affect the player for his entire career because he did not get the minutes in his first couple of years and therefore started his development later in his career.
