Figures...

[MHSL82]

Utah Jazz get No. 5 pick in NBA Draft | The Salt Lake Tribune

Fourth was the worst I was hoping for because we were the fourth worst team. But 5 was in our range.

Cavaliers get top pick for third time in four years.

I think when you get the top pick you should be ineligible to get another one for the next four to five years. There would be an exception to the rule if you were actually the worst team in the league. Cleveland was not the worst team in the league but lucked out. You shouldn't be on the luck out three times in four years.

Yes, we want parity and we want to give to the poor, but this is ridiculous. You should have to do something with your pink or be accountable. (AKA: Be a bad team.) There are teams that are as bad or worse than Cleveland and they're getting the first pick three times.

 

[nuraman00]

This was the strawberry crush I made yesterday morning, for the draft lottery. It would be used in a margarita. (I always make a margarita for the draft lottery.)

This was the resulting margarita. The red color came from the red grapes, not the strawberry crush. I was supposed to use black grapes, but the store was out of those.

 

[nuraman00]

My thoughts while making the strawberry crush:

++++++++++++++++



I've been boiling the strawberries for more than 35 minutes, and they're still not done dissolving.





40 mins later, they're still not done dissolving. I wonder what I did wrong. Did I use too much water?



Here it is after boiling the strawberries for nearly an hour, and letting it cool for about half an hour. Thoughts?

 

[nuraman00]

Utah Jazz get No. 5 pick in NBA Draft | The Salt Lake Tribune

Fourth was the worst I was hoping for because we were the fourth worst team. But 5 was in our range.

Seven was also in the range.

 

[nuraman00]

You should have to do something with your pink or be accountable. (AKA: Be a bad team.) There are teams that are as bad or worse than Cleveland and they're getting the first pick three times.

Drafting a good pick the year before doesn't necessarily translate to wins.

Philly and Orlando got the best rookies from last year, and they still stunk.

In 2007, Portland had the reigning rookie of the year, Brandon Roy, and also another top rookie, Aldridge, and still had the 7th worst record. They then still fortunately got the number one pick. They selected Greg Oden.

Cleveland had 1 more win in 2013-2014 than Portland did in 2006-2007.

In 2009-2010, Sacramento had the rookie of the year, and the 3rd worst record.

 

[MHSL82]

Drafting a good pick the year before doesn't necessarily translate to wins.

Philly and Orlando got the best rookies from last year, and they still stunk.

In 2007, Portland had the reigning rookie of the year, Brandon Roy, and also another top rookie, Aldridge, and still had the 7th worst record. They then still fortunately got the number one pick. They selected Greg Oden.

Cleveland had 1 more win in 2013-2014 than Portland did in 2006-2007.

In 2009-2010, Sacramento had the rookie of the year, and the 3rd worst record.

But it should help long-term, so I'm not interested in giving a team more short-term or long term help. Get it once and you better hope you picked the right guy. If it is a weak draft class, oh well. You're not always going to get a great player, but you shouldn't get three tries in four years.

I think the NBA felt bad for them losing LeBron. Maybe he was returning to Cleveland and Stern told him to leave?

 

[nuraman00]

I think the NBA felt bad for them losing LeBron. Maybe he was returning to Cleveland and Stern told him to leave?

No. Stern likes the Jazz, remember?

++++++++++++++++++

As much as I dislike Kevin Garnett for his trash talk and attitude (not my style), I am now rooting for the Celtics to win this series...

2013 NBA playoffs -- Mike Woodson 'upset' New York Knicks wore all black to mimic funeral against Boston Celtics

I'm reminded of when the Jazz were trailing I think the Sonics 3-0 or 3-1 and a local Jazz writer said the Jazz would win when pigs could fly. The Jazz forced Game 7 but lost. I was so upset - more because of the article than us not making the Finals.

Being really young at that point, I felt challenged. I mean, I wasn't personally challenged, as I couldn't do anything to help the Jazz win besides ice the floor or put glass over the Sonics rim or move the team to Oklahoma City or food-poison Jordan (Kemp, too) or crash their plane or kidnap all their children and Stern with the ransom being a Sonic loss to the Jazz or tie their shoelaces all together so they'd have to forfeit the game by not getting to the court on time (or play in their slippery socks - no borrowing or buying new shoes!) or Kerrigan them or inject undetectable steroids into the Jazz players secretly (even unknown to them) or ask strangers on a train about their mom's child-raising experiences that prompts enlightenment of said person's mom's breast-milking habits during conception periods or removing the opponents basket altogether or removing the opponent's coach George Karl style (I actually like him as a coach and wish no one sickness, so just a joke) or breaking the scoreboard or hypnotizing the scorekeepers to award the Jazz more points or bribing the Tim Donaghy's or paying all the reporters to report that the Jazz won to the point everyone, including David Stern and the Sonics, believed we did. Other than that, there was nothing I could do. I'm only human... yes, I am not a robot!

Why would you kidnap Stern? He was a Jazz fan.

I knew Stern was a Jazz fan. I watched the NBA TV special on Stern, and Stern said he was fortunate to come into the league at the same time "as a kid from Gonzaga".

 

[nuraman00]

I think the NBA felt bad for them losing LeBron.

Danny Ferry screwed up the Cavaliers, not James. All he did was make bad moves, bad trades, and bad free agent signings.

Then, he got fired, and has now turned one of their competitors, the Atlanta Hawks, into a good team.

He hurt the Cavs even more, even after leaving!

 

[nuraman00]

But it should help long-term, so I'm not interested in giving a team more short-term or long term help. Get it once and you better hope you picked the right guy. If it is a weak draft class, oh well. You're not always going to get a great player, but you shouldn't get three tries in four years.

The Jazz have also picked many players in recent years that haven't helped long term.

 

[MHSL82]

The Jazz have also picked many players in recent years that haven't helped long term.

Yeah, so they don't deserve a non-number one overall pick.

 

[MHSL82]

I take it back???

Utah Jazz: Draft night was a dream scenario :: The Salt Lake Tribune

 

[nuraman00]

Only you can answer whether you take it back.

 

[MHSL82]

"The rough draft of this plan was met with opposition by 76ers management, which is in the midst of a multiseason rebuilding project that is dependent on a high pick next year. The 76ers, sources said, are hoping to get the NBA to delay the plan's implementation for at least a year because it would act as a de facto punishment while just playing by the rules that have been in place."

Philadelphia 76ers fighting NBA's push to change lottery system - ESPN

THE RULES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE? THE RULE IS TO TRY AND WIN AS MANY GAMES EVERY YEAR. (Yes, I know, no "rule" has been broken.) While Philadelphia hasn't exactly won the first overall pick every year like Cleveland, it seemed clear that they were tanking last year because they knew they weren't any good.

Fine, I can't prove tanking, but indignantly acting like they are playing by some rule and anticipating such loss this year which would make a rule change unfair because of their grand plan, peeves me. It's a viable strategy to stockpile lottery picks and the NBA is trying to stop us.

Act like you are trying and will win some games. Fool me.

 

[MHSL82]