2026 Draft Lottery. Predictions, Etc.

Predictions and other news.

Neat. They always call it a "coin flip" but I just learned yesterday that it's not really a coin flip so now we know how that goes

As for the lottery, I'm gonna go...

1. Brooklyn

2. Chicago

3. Memphis

4. Washington

5. Utah

6. Indiana

7. Sacramento

8. Atlanta

9. Dallas

10. Milwaukee

11. Golden State

12. OKC

13. Miami

14. Charlotte

Yeah that's why I posted the video above.

Can you put --> in the cases with protected picks where the pick goes to someone else, with the team that it goes to?

Just so it's easier to follow who actually gets what, if it goes according to your predictions.

Atlanta at #8 is supposed to be New Orleans but the Hawks get this one from the Derick Queen trade

OKC at #12 was supposed to be the Clips and I think we all know how they get that one

You know what would be cool? If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander forced a trade to the Clippers, and as a part of that, said reverse the pick swap so the Clippers keep the pick.

I wonder if there's ever been a trade or sign and trade where the player also negotiated that the team he was going to would get at least one draft pick asset.

This is a few months old, but, this was my reaction when I saw it (and still holds true to me):

https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0ahqhEVjl/

My reaction:

1.5 is not impressive. Get to 2.3.

The great (I can't believe I just said that) Michael Jordan had 8 seasons of 2.3+.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has zero.

He's a two way sub (defensive) star.

I'll keep saying this, but the decline since 2008 - 2009 for the yearly steals per game leader has been frustrating. The pace of the game has gone up, but the top guys are stealing less.

Dyson Daniels saved us last year with his 3.01, but this year we are back to 2.00 by Ausur Thompson.

Our standards keep getting lowered, to the point where we think 1.5 is good???? Actually not just good, but a "star"?

Of course, since that tweet, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped and finished with 1.4.

Also, I couldn't let Michael Jordan feel too good about himself, so I noted that LeBron James (at that time in December) had 111 more to go to "tie that guy who thought using a fax machine was cool."

You once brought up a great point about the lack of perimeter defense being bad in the NBA or at least worse than usual and I've often thought that ties in with the 3 point revolution. Maybe if there was better perimeter defenders or at least players who at least make an effort on the perimeter, coaches would have to change their 3 point strategy to something more well balanced

Good point.

Also, I've since thought of an ad-on to my Michael Jordan critique.

"Hey Michael, you made your announcement via fax? You weren't cutting edge enough for internet / email / webcam? Talk about being a fuddy duddy."

By 1995, I not only had first gone through GEnie ISP, but was on my 2nd ISP, another more popular dial up service.

So a professional athlete like him could definitely had done something more cutting edge.

Also, I value perimeter defense so much, that I would rather have a team with Gary Payton and Nikola Vucevic than Trae Young and Victor Wembanyama.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I was still on dial up all the way until 2001. I'd just tell people to page me if they got a busy signal

Yeah, you're probably right about GP and Vuc being the better combo if you prefer perimeter defense. Even sadder, Wemby is probably a better perimeter defender than Trae Young

I guess I'll look at it as more of a positive for Wembanyama, just because it shows he has range.

At least you had a pager.

If I would have lived at home, I think I still would have been on dial up in 2001. And my parents did have only one phone line, so yeah, the busy signal thing was a problem.

I think they got broadband either in 2001, or maybe 2002.