CB Draft Playoff Seeding - Results Thread

[Roy Hobbs]

I seem to remember the Toronto GM proposing playing Livingston full time at the SF position, and getting lambasted for it (rightly so).

How did he end up with Edgar's team? Was there a trade? Livingston-gate is in full effect . . .

I think Edgar traded Eddy Curry for Livingston and a draft pick.

[Lucky17]

That's right, now I remember.

That trade gave Edgar the added bonus of opening up some playing time for Blount, if I recall correctly.

[The Walker Wiggle]

If you can't tell that's a frown on the face of the Memphis Grizzly today.

I assume backlash hurt Bynum, and our prospects, but I maintain he's going to embarrass a lot of Celtics fans this season, who rank him even with or behind Andrew Bogut, Okafor, etc. Randy Foye is also going to shame some GMs here. I'd even argue that Arenas is badly underrated in these parts, but then recent injury report (out till January?) does hurt, and maybe hurt our chances? (Though Memphis never seemed to have gained much traction with other GMs anyway). Maybe I'll dig this thread up mid-season to take a look at which players proved to be the steals of the draft in '08-'09.

As for the rest, I just don't believe OKC is the second worst team in the West, and Angry Pickles get my vote for most cheated. I'll just assume this was an instance of GMs and others voting against "unlikable" players. This may also have hurt a Philadelphia team that stars Ron Artest? (This was another team that I regarded more highly than most.)

I agree with Roy that stars, by which I mean top-10 players, seemed to the rule the day, and I can't disagree too much. We've certainly seen James, Bryant, a healthy Wade, carry teams into the playoffs before.

As for the Rockets, I'm not sure what to think. It's reasonable to believe that close to half of the votes here came from uninvolved board members, with out any knowledge of day to day league noise.

Regarding Toronto, I'll admit that I for one - when I had a difficult time differentiating between teams in the middle of the pack - docked GMs who didn't put together a press release.

Anyway, I think I've said before it was a great distraction, a great group of guys. I now turn my attention to beating up on my critics in other Celticsblog fantasy basketball leagues...

[BigAlTheFuture]

Very surprised here. I think Denver ended up higher than they were suppose to be. I didn't think they were a good enough team to make the playoffs either. No disrespect to zerophase.

Shocked that Houston didn't make the playoffs. Minnesota 7th seed? Surprised about that, too.

Playoffs seeding should be like this, IMO.

1. Portland
2. Golden State
3. Dallas
4. Houston
5. Minnesota
6. Los Angeles
7. Utah
8. San Antonio

[indeedproceed]

you're missing someone in that list.

[BigAlTheFuture]

you're missing someone in that list.

Hmmm. I think it is a toss up between you and me for the 8th seed but I think Chris Paul pushes us ahead of you guys.

[indeedproceed]

I respectfully disagree. Chris Paul is a magical player but he can't cure Ben Wallace's injuries, make Darrel Arthur any more mature (and I don't mean the off the court stuff, I just mean he's just not ready for prime time), or make AK-47 stop crying himself to sleep at night.

Well maybe he can help AK-47...if he holds him ever so slightly......ever so slightly. I believe Brandon Roy is every bit the leader Chris Paul is...but just not as talented.

[BigAlTheFuture]

I respectfully disagree. Chris Paul is a magical player but he can't cure Ben Wallace's injuries, make Darrel Arthur any more mature (and I don't mean the off the court stuff, I just mean he's just not ready for prime time), or make AK-47 stop crying himself to sleep at night.

Well maybe he can help AK-47...if he holds him ever so slightly......ever so slightly. I believe Brandon Roy is every bit the leader Chris Paul is...but just not as talented.

I think that my bench is a little bit better than yours with more experience. Yes, they are old but they can still play. Chris Paul is the type of player, I think, can impact his team better than anybody with the exception of Lebron and Kobe. His supporting cast isn't bad, either. Just my opinion, though. I think our teams are pretty even, but like I said, CP3 pushes us ahead of you guys.

[bdm860]

As for the rest, I just don't believe OKC is the second worst team in the West, and Angry Pickles get my vote for most cheated.

 
Out of curiosity where do you think the Angry Pickles should have finished?

Very surprised here. I think Denver ended up higher than they were suppose to be. I didn't think they were a good enough team to make the playoffs either. No disrespect to zerophase.

I'm a Denver fan.  I think their pieces fit nicely (whereas a team like Toronto has better players, but I don't think their players complement each other well).  They are thin at Center, but besides that, I think they're a good team.  Bibby is still a playoff caliber point guard (off the top of my head I would say top 15 easy, but that's without much thought).  Bell is 2nd Team All Defense.  Jefferson is borderline All-Star talent, and Brand is a very nice cornerstone.  Millsap is a Powe/Big Baby/Maxiell type player off the bench and with what Moon showed last year starting for the Raptors I think he would be a Posey type 6th man for Denver (and we all know how important those type of players can be).  No knuckleheads (despite Bibby running his mouth recently) and their players complement each other well.  I see a team that would have good chemistry and would play well together.  I definitely think they're a playoff team.

[cordobes]

Count me as another voter who's appalled by Houston's failure (who voted against them, after all?). They were one of my favourites teams to win it all (the only knocks being the unexperience of their best players, their only elite perimeter defender being very injury prone and a very bad choice for head-coach, as Coach K system would fit that roster very badly). Still, it's a shame people tend to prefer star power to well balanced and functional rosters. Or that they still don't recognize Kevin Martin as an outstanding player. But come on, that Houston team running a Princeton offence would be one of the most enjoyable to watch in the history of the NBA, and this is not an hyperbole.

As for Chicago making the playoffs... never underestimate Powe's power!

Walker Wiggle, I can't remember for sure, but I think I voted your team somewhere in the 7th-9th range, so probably out of the playoffs seeds. Three basic reasons for that: 1 - injuries; 2 - I expect Bynum to become a top-3 center in the league if he comes back healthy, but I think his breakthrough season is 2/3 years away; 3 - I don't like your starting lineup at all: Foye playing along Gilbert; Rudy at the 3 (he won't be able to play that position in the NBA). It's simply a very undersized backcourt, with 3 very similar players who like to have the basketball on their hands; 4 - lack of depth, with too much youth on the bench. In my view, your answers on the press conference didn't easy these concerns. 

[Roy Hobbs]

Count me as another voter who's appalled by Houston's failure

I think, as others have alluded to, Houston's lack of support came for one of four reasons:

1) Strategic voting.

2) Personal distaste about some of the griping regarding the draft from Houston's ownership (sorry, Jsaad, but it's the truth...  or at least, it's the perception, as seen earlier in this thread.)

3) Lamar Odom (and depending upon the voter, maybe Shaq and Tony Parker, too).  Not exactly fan favorites in Celtics country.

4) Lack of a perceived superstar.

Going into the voting, I thought for sure there were three teams that definitely deserved the top at-large seeds in their conferences:  Los Angeles, Houston, and New York.  I'm surprised that so many disagreed, but I would guess that there are reasons for it.

[Rondo2287]

The only way the raptors don't make the playoffs is if there is a plane crash.  This is absolutely disgraceful

[Roy Hobbs]

The only way the raptors don't make the playoffs is if there is a plane crash.  This is absolutely disgraceful

My guess would that people compared your team to the "real life" Denver Nuggets, who were an 8th seed.  I think people just don't like Iverson, Carter, Curry, etc.

[Lucky17]

I have to admit not selecting Toronto as a playoff team. Along with a thin bench, the Raptors start a 2nd-year player at SF (Young), backed up by a rookie (Alexander).

[Edgar]

I am third but ia m pretty sure i can beat any of the two teams ahead

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........