Clippers 2012 Top 10 Protected Pick

[MF Doom]

I'm not exactly sure what Top 10 Protected in the context of this pick actually means. Should we be routing for the Clippers to loose or win in order for the pick to be high?

[Roy H.]

If the pick is 11th through 30th in the first round, we get it.

If it is 1st through 10th, we don't get it.

So, we have to route for them to win...  sort of.

[hpantazo]

If the pick is 11th through 30th in the first round, we get it.

If it is 1st through 10th, we don't get it.

So, we have to route for them to win...  sort of.

Well, they still are the clippers, so they can only win to a certain extent. I think it's safe to route for them this season

[diconzo]

I really hope to get either Tyler Zeller, John Henson, James McAdoo, Austin Rivers, or someone who would fall in the draft like Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, or pretty much the best player available that isn't a PG (Rules out Jeremy Lamb, a few others)

To the OP: Yes we root for the clippers to be around 11-14. I don't think they will make the playoffs and will be the 10th seed out west (giving us the 13th pick)

[theswitch]

If the pick is 11th through 30th in the first round, we get it.

If it is 1st through 10th, we don't get it.

So, we have to route for them to win...  sort of.

They were the 8th worst team last year - I would imagine they'll improve with their youth and talent and am expecting the pick to be in that wonderful 11-13 range.

[byennie]

Ah and this is pretty much a lock, but we want Minnesota to lose. The Clippers own Minnesota's pick and have the right to give us that instead. Of course this would require something like Clippers picking 11th and Minnesota picking 12th... hard to imagine at least 11 teams being worse than Minnesota.

[PosImpos]

Ah and this is pretty much a lock, but we want Minnesota to lose. The Clippers own Minnesota's pick and have the right to give us that instead. Of course this would require something like Clippers picking 11th and Minnesota picking 12th... hard to imagine at least 11 teams being worse than Minnesota.

hey, you never know.  rubiooooooo (kidding, of course).

[clover]

Ah and this is pretty much a lock, but we want Minnesota to lose. The Clippers own Minnesota's pick and have the right to give us that instead. Of course this would require something like Clippers picking 11th and Minnesota picking 12th... hard to imagine at least 11 teams being worse than Minnesota.

So we don't get the Clippers pick if their Minnesota is in the top 10 either?  They both have to be out of the top 10 for the C's to get the pick next year?  My guess would be Minnesota would be in the lottery and the Clips' pick would be in the teens.

[byennie]

Ah and this is pretty much a lock, but we want Minnesota to lose. The Clippers own Minnesota's pick and have the right to give us that instead. Of course this would require something like Clippers picking 11th and Minnesota picking 12th... hard to imagine at least 11 teams being worse than Minnesota.

So we don't get the Clippers pick if their Minnesota is in the top 10 either?  They both have to be out of the top 10 for the C's to get the pick next year?  My guess would be Minnesota would be in the lottery and the Clips' pick would be in the teens.

Note quite, IIRC it works like this:

1) If Clippers pick is top 10, we get nothing (wait until next year).
2) If Clippers pick is 11th or later, we get the lower of the two picks

IOW the Minnesota pick only matters if we already are going to get the original Clippers pick.

[manl_lui]

say they fall exactly on 11, what players will fall to 11?

pretty sure we won't be getting Anthony Davis or Drummond

could be a chance we get Austin, saw his name at 16 on draftexpress

[Roy H.]

Ah and this is pretty much a lock, but we want Minnesota to lose. The Clippers own Minnesota's pick and have the right to give us that instead. Of course this would require something like Clippers picking 11th and Minnesota picking 12th... hard to imagine at least 11 teams being worse than Minnesota.

So we don't get the Clippers pick if their Minnesota is in the top 10 either?  They both have to be out of the top 10 for the C's to get the pick next year?  My guess would be Minnesota would be in the lottery and the Clips' pick would be in the teens.

Note quite, IIRC it works like this:

1) If Clippers pick is top 10, we get nothing (wait until next year).
2) If Clippers pick is 11th or later, we get the lower of the two picks

IOW the Minnesota pick only matters if we already are going to get the original Clippers pick.

I believe (but it's been awhile since I checked), that if the Clippers pick is in the top 10, but Minnesota's isn't (say, it's 15th) that we get the Twolves pick.

[Celtics18]

I don't think the Clippers will finish in the bottom third of the league this year.  11 would be fantastic, but I think there's a good possibility that we could find ourselves somewhere between 15 and 18.  Following the Clippers will be an interesting subplot for Celtics fans this season.

[Roy H.]

I don't think the Clippers will finish in the bottom third of the league this year.  11 would be fantastic, but I think there's a good possibility that we could find ourselves somewhere between 15 and 18.  Following the Clippers will be an interesting subplot for Celtics fans this season.

15th to 18th puts them in the playoffs...  Who will they beat out?  Probably New Orleans, if CP3 leaves.  Portland or Denver, maybe?  I can't see them finishing ahead of San Antonio, the Lakers, Dallas, OKC, or Memphis. 

[Celtics4ever]

It's going to be a nice draft year.   I would love to get the 11 or 12 next year.  Not that it will happen but if it does we should land a player of merit.

[Celtics18]

I don't think the Clippers will finish in the bottom third of the league this year.  11 would be fantastic, but I think there's a good possibility that we could find ourselves somewhere between 15 and 18.  Following the Clippers will be an interesting subplot for Celtics fans this season.

15th to 18th puts them in the playoffs...  Who will they beat out?  Probably New Orleans, if CP3 leaves.  Portland or Denver, maybe?  I can't see them finishing ahead of San Antonio, the Lakers, Dallas, OKC, or Memphis. 

I certainly don't see them finishing above the 5 teams you mentioned who are most likely the cream of the West again.  I think that if Denver hangs on to Nene, they'll finish above them as well.  I do think they have a good shot of getting a seventh or eighth seed, though.