Laimbrane came up with this idea (and posted it here - http://pistonsforum.com/threads/nba-all-time-greatest-mock-draft.8881/; I thought it'd get more attention on the big board). For any board member that's interested - We're going to have a mock draft. The player/selection pool is going to be.. anyone who's ever played the game. Live draft or over-time draft? - Not sure yet. When are we going to do it? - Not sure yet. How many teams are we going to have? - Not sure yet (30 max, I'd guess...lol). How many rounds are there going to be? - Not sure yet (thinking 5 or 12). How are we going to pick a winner? - Not sure yet (a vote? endless arguing? a computer simulation of some sort that's been discussed?). Here's the sign-up sheet: 1) blueadams 2) **IF you're interested in doing this...AND you are actually GOING to DO this (i.e. show up for a live draft, or get on the board daily for a period of time to make your picks)...SIGN UP!!
I'm gonna Chad Ford a big-board Top 20 Big Men (C's, PF's): 1) W. Chamberlain. I might take him over MJ. Probably the second best post-defender and rebounder in history, along with probably being the best interior scorer of all-time. Match-up problems galore. 2) S. O'Neal. Again, match-up problems, match-up problems. Makes him quite valuable. 3) H. Olajuwon. He could go first among big-men, who knows? 4) K. Abdul-Jabbar. Great, great scorer. But his size will hurt him against some of the bigger bigs. 5) M. Malone. Really, really underrated by basketball historians, IMO. 6) T. Duncan. Someone might take him much higher.. 7) D. Robinson. Ditto.. 8) B. Russell. In all reality, he might be the greatest basketball player of all-time. But his shortcomings as a scorer are going to hurt him here. 9) K. Malone. One of the better interior scorers of all-time. Big and strong enough to handle most centers too. 10) P. Ewing. The last GREAT true center left on the board. 11) D. Nowitzki. Really, really unique player. Big enough to guard all the PFs above, and even some of the C's. Big-time match-up problem creator. 12) K. Garnett. Underrated. Just picture him in his prime going up against some of the above fellas.. 13) C. Barkley. His size is really going to hurt him. I almost listed him as a wing. Potential anti-LeBron? 14) K. McHale. Great inside scorer. Some defensive short-comings. 15) B. Walton. Someone will take a shot with him, I'm guessing. 16) E. Hayes. Getting well into the third-tier here. 17) B. Williams. Ditto. 18) D. Howard. He's going to get taken, for sure. He can do a lot of things to help one of the squads. 19) K. Love. Ditto. 20) B. Griffin. Ditto. Others of note: S. Kemp. G. Mikan Top 20 Wings (SF's, SG's): 1) M. Jordan. In the running for top overall pick, of course. 2) L. James. Also - I think - in the running for top overall pick. The mismatches he could create make him quite valuable in this draft. 3) L. Bird. His lack of athleticism might cause him to drop a little bit. Still, what a winner and shooter. 4) K. Bryant. Being past his prime now, he might get a little overlooked. But he deserves to go about here. 5) K. Durant. FREAK of nature. Mismatch-city. He should go about this high. 6) E. Baylor. Hard to place he and Dr. J. I think both are right about here. 7) J. Erving. Ditto. 8) R. Miller. He'll be a dangerous addition to someone's squad as a dangerous, clutch shooter. 9) G. Gervin. The ice-man knew how to put the ball in the bucket and he'll be drafted. 10) D. Wilkins. Super athletic big man could be called upon to guard some of these above studs. 11) C. Drexler. Likewise. 12) S. Pippen. Likewise, again. 13) D. Wade. Being a little undersized will hurt him as a wing (and he's NOT a point). But a dangerous addition for someone. 14) A. Dantley. Sort of a strange player. Especially in this context. But he'll get the ball in the bucket. 15) J. Worthy. Might be called-upon to guard a LeBron. 16) R. Barry. Old-timer, but he'll be in the mix. 17) J. Havlicek. Likewise. 18) D. DeBusschere. Again. 19) A. Iverson. His size and defense reall hurts his value in something like this. Absolutely not a point guard. 20) I ran out of names. Some of the combo-guards I listed as extra point guards will probably go here. Earl Monroe. Joe Dumars. Pistol Pete. Etc.. Others of note: G. Hill. T. McGrady. ??... Top 10 Point Guards: 1) O. Robertson. Magic might've been the best true point guard of all-time. But in a draft like this, the more MJ-like Big O might have a little more value. 2) M. Johnson. Best true point guard of all-time. But his short-comings as a shooter and defender hurt him. 3) J. West. More of a combo-guard. Perhaps the best shooter of all-time. Might end up being the top point guard picked? 4) I. Thomas. Great scorer. Great leader. 5) J. Stockton. The top point guard of the second-tier. 6) S. Nash. Poor-man's J. West. Might end up getting drafted a little higher. 7) G. Payton. Perhaps the best defensive point guard of all-time. Quite the scorer too in his prime. 8) J. Kidd. Not far behind Payton, in any regard. 9) C. Paul. Best point guard of the modern era. Perhaps the best distributor behind Magic? 10) D. Rose. Remember him when he was healthy. One of the most dynamic point guard attackers of all-time, for sure. Others of note: E. Monroe, W. Frazier, J. Dumars, P. Maravich, B. Cousy, T. Archibald
There were some people in Lambranes original thread (that got deleted I guess??) talking about a somewhat accurate simulator that could be used.. I'd rather have a tournament of the board voting on games though, personally. Also, I think we should limit rosters to 5 players - it'll make the teams much easier/quicker to put together.
The voting thing turns me off. I'd pick differently if I knew that a vote would determine the winner. It would be a contest to draft the most overrated or the best isolated players as opposed to the ones that would fit together best. Don Reid would help my team tremendously in reality, whereas I know that it would hurt me in the vote.
You would need some pretty sophisticated software to run simulations using players of different basketball eras.
It already exists. I'm just not sure if all past great players are available or if they just selected a few. It would beat having the winner determined by casual internet fans though (no offense to those of you without film rooms in your basements).
