I Are Pissed...

[TyFreak Evans]

Not because the Kings are not picking first in the upcoming draft.
But because the New Orleans Hornets are picking first in the upcoming draft.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Have fun with that.

 

[uolj]

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/05/30/nba-draft-lottery/
http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/05/31/an-nba-draft-lottery-conspiracy-it-didnt-seem-that-way/

...

As I wrote last night, the league conducts the real lottery in a closed-off room an hour before the television broadcast. Every lottery team has one representative in the room — a different person than the one who represents them on television later, so that the televised suspense is legitimate. The league also allows three or four media members to watch the process, and on Wednesday, I was one of them. I described the drawing process in detail in that post: the air-powered machine, the scrambled ping-pong balls, the precisely-timed intervals between the sucking up of each ping-pong ball, the Ernst & Young accountant watching it all, etc. Click on that link if you want the full blow-by-blow of how the real thing works.

For now, let’s say this: If the process is actually rigged, the league does an incredible job of hiding it. Rigging the drawing would involve somehow tinkering with the machine (or the balls) so that it is more likely to suck up a particular four-ball combination out of 1,001 combinations. I’m honestly not sure how the league could do that, or how the official drawing the balls at the prescribed times could actually pull of the trick of picking the right one each time.

...

 

[UK_King]

They don't tell the team representatives anything they just sit there, they don't tell them who's won or what combination is which, they simply watch the machine go round.

Not that i actually subscribe to the conspiracies but they could easily draw any old ping pong ball and then put the cards in whatever order they wanted. No one would be any the wiser.

that said it isn't rigged.

 

[uolj]

They don't tell the team representatives anything they just sit there, they don't tell them who's won or what combination is which, they simply watch the machine go round.

That's not true. Read the first link I posted.

 

[JB_kings]

They don't tell the team representatives anything they just sit there, they don't tell them who's won or what combination is which, they simply watch the machine go round.

Not that i actually subscribe to the conspiracies but they could easily draw any old ping pong ball and then put the cards in whatever order they wanted. No one would be any the wiser.

that said it isn't rigged.

They've shown pictures and all the combinations are given to the reps and printed charts are in the room. It's a wide open process for everyone there. The actual process isn't TV drama worthy since they pick #1 first, then #2 and then #3. It's about as legit as they come. But perhaps it's too unbiased and rarely does the worst team get #1.

 

[Glenn]

This argument has been argued many times before. Rigging the system would require the complicity of a lot of people. The more people involved, the more chance of a leak and this has been going on a long time to have been kept secret. What would be the result if the NBA were caught rigging the draft? The NBA would come tumbling down as a sham and I don't think the NBA would risk a multi-billion dollar industry over something that in the end effects only a few teams and probably in no measurable way influences the overall income of the 30 teams. Yes, the income of a few teams but overall, no. Too much risk for very small, if any, reward.

In any case, every year at this time I set up a stand outside my residence selling tin foil just as I sold lemonade as a kid.

 

[uolj]

They've shown pictures and all the combinations are given to the reps and printed charts are in the room. It's a wide open process for everyone there. The actual process isn't TV drama worthy since they pick #1 first, then #2 and then #3. It's about as legit as they come. But perhaps it's too unbiased and rarely does the worst team get #1.

I actually think it would be good television except for the whole "duplicates" part (like how the Bobcats and Hornets both had their combinations drawn again before the Wizards finally won the third pick).

All the TV folks have to do is have a big board with all the teams, and each time a number is drawn black out the teams that don't have any combinations left that could win. Then before each number is drawn also show which (if any) numbers would clinch the pick for each team. That could be updated almost instantly after each ball comes up, and would have plenty of drama. "Come on, seven! Come on, seven!" Boom! Seven.

 

[pshn80]

Congrats to New Oleans. Now lets get to Kings business. No. 5.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

It's rigged, let's move along ppl

Arenas destroys the wizards w his antics, wiz w Abe pollin's wife wins #1

LeBron bends Cleveland over w o a condom, they win the first pick.

Cp3 forces his way out and they desperately need to rejuvenate the fanbase in no, they win this years pick. The new owners should be happy.. so convenient

 

[HndsmCelt]

My understanding is that there are no actual balls, the lottery is conducted with a random numbers generator on a computer. if done right it is actually MORE fair than using a wind machine and ping pong balls, but since it is a program on a computer it is also very vulnerable to shenanigans as all computers are. It is a question of access and motive. Pu your tin foil hats on and have fun with that information.

 

[JB_kings]

My understanding is that there are no actual balls, the lottery is conducted with a random numbers generator on a computer. if done right it is actually MORE fair than using a wind machine and ping pong balls, but since it is a program on a computer it is also very vulnerable to shenanigans as all computers are. It is a question of access and motive. Pu your tin foil hats on and have fun with that information.

No, it's an actual lottery ball machine. It's been observed by national writers during the drawing.

And it would make awful TV. They come out in numbers and you have to follow along and have all the combinations printed out.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

My understanding is that there are no actual balls, the lottery is conducted with a random numbers generator on a computer. if done right it is actually MORE fair than using a wind machine and ping pong balls, but since it is a program on a computer it is also very vulnerable to shenanigans as all computers are. It is a question of access and motive. Pu your tin foil hats on and have fun with that information.

You understand wrong.

 

[uolj]

I posted a link above to a reporter who was in the room this year describing exactly how it went down. We don't have to guess.

And I believe most reporters would be thrilled to expose a fix if it actually existed, so it's unlikely for many reasons that everybody in that room would be in on it.

And it would make awful TV. They come out in numbers and you have to follow along and have all the combinations printed out.

You wouldn't have to have the combinations printed out at all. It would be easy to have the TV broadcast (or a screen in the room) show which teams were still possible and which number would clinch for each team (see my other post above). There would be a lot of drama and there would be almost no confusion to take away from it.

 

[bajaden]

My understanding is that there are no actual balls, the lottery is conducted with a random numbers generator on a computer. if done right it is actually MORE fair than using a wind machine and ping pong balls, but since it is a program on a computer it is also very vulnerable to shenanigans as all computers are. It is a question of access and motive. Pu your tin foil hats on and have fun with that information.

Go read the sites that were posted above. It explains everything. Thats why they were posted.

 

[bajaden]

Quite frankly, if the Kings don't have the first pick, I don't give a damm who does. I could take just about any team in the lottery, put them in the number one spot, and find a way to build a conspiracy around it. If we had won, there would be folks on other fourms saying that Stern was just trying to make up for our not getting an arena. Its all just nonsense...

 

[mac]

It's rigged, let's move along ppl

Arenas destroys the wizards w his antics, wiz w Abe pollin's wife wins #1

LeBron bends Cleveland over w o a condom, they win the first pick.

Cp3 forces his way out and they desperately need to rejuvenate the fanbase in no, they win this years pick. The new owners should be happy.. so convenient

It does seem convincing that way, but one could argue that you could find a story to spin no matter who gets the #1 pick. It's only because we don't get it that we all think it's rigged. If we got it, some Bobcats fan would be saying how with the whole arena deal thing, broke owners etc. that the NBA wanted to reward the Kings fanbase, and ensure that the Kings would stay in Sacramento.

Like someone said for the Chicago one - Top player is from chicago. Chicago wins it. Like ... that's just poor. Oh, Anthony Davis visited Sacramento for his 5th birthday. That's why the Kings got the top pick?

 

[Big Cuz 15]

It does seem convincing that way, but one could argue that you could find a story to spin no matter who gets the #1 pick. It's only because we don't get it that we all think it's rigged. If we got it, some Bobcats fan would be saying how with the whole arena deal thing, broke owners etc. that the NBA wanted to reward the Kings fanbase, and ensure that the Kings would stay in Sacramento.

Like someone said for the Chicago one - Top player is from chicago. Chicago wins it. Like ... that's just poor. Oh, Anthony Davis visited Sacramento for his 5th birthday. That's why the Kings got the top pick?

Our story isn't compelling enough.

 

[Tetsujin]

It's rigged, let's move along ppl

Arenas destroys the wizards w his antics, wiz w Abe pollin's wife wins #1

LeBron bends Cleveland over w o a condom, they win the first pick.

Cp3 forces his way out and they desperately need to rejuvenate the fanbase in no, they win this years pick. The new owners should be happy.. so convenient

Except that was actually the Clippers pick.

 

[mac]

Quite frankly, if the Kings don't have the first pick, I don't give a damm who does. I could take just about any team in the lottery, put them in the number one spot, and find a way to build a conspiracy around it. If we had won, there would be folks on other fourms saying that Stern was just trying to make up for our not getting an arena. Its all just nonsense...

oo you beat me to It.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I guess I will stand corrected, I thought I recalled an article a few years ago where hey referred to the ping pong balls as "virtual".

 

[VF21]

I guess I will stand corrected, I thought I recalled an article a few years ago where hey referred to the ping pong balls as "virtual".

I have a similar memory. I guess it might have been a one-time thing or a proposal or something, but you're not the only one.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Except that was actually the Clippers pick.

Cleveland ended up with it. The nba had their own version of the decision by giving the cavs the first pick.

 

[est.1999]

Stay classy, San Diego.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I guess I will stand corrected, I thought I recalled an article a few years ago where hey referred to the ping pong balls as "virtual".

Most likely this was in reference to the ball-combo scheme. What I mean is, it has been quite common for people to say that the top team has 250 "lotto balls" instead of 250 "lotto combinations". Well, in that sense, the "lotto balls" are virtual, because they don't actually put an entire 1000 balls into the hopper and pull one out. They put 14 balls into the hopper, and the number of possible combinations is 1001, so they assign 1000 of those to the various teams and one combination is assigned to nobody. So the balls themselves are real, but Charlotte 250 "lotto balls" are virtual - it's really 250 combos.

 

[Bricklayer]

Most likely this was in reference to the ball-combo scheme. What I mean is, it has been quite common for people to say that the top team has 250 "lotto balls" instead of 250 "lotto combinations". Well, in that sense, the "lotto balls" are virtual, because they don't actually put an entire 1000 balls into the hopper and pull one out. They put 14 balls into the hopper, and the number of possible combinations is 1001, so they assign 1000 of those to the various teams and one combination is assigned to nobody. So the balls themselves are real, but Charlotte 250 "lotto balls" are virtual - it's really 250 combos.

That makes sense.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Most likely this was in reference to the ball-combo scheme. What I mean is, it has been quite common for people to say that the top team has 250 "lotto balls" instead of 250 "lotto combinations". Well, in that sense, the "lotto balls" are virtual, because they don't actually put an entire 1000 balls into the hopper and pull one out. They put 14 balls into the hopper, and the number of possible combinations is 1001, so they assign 1000 of those to the various teams and one combination is assigned to nobody. So the balls themselves are real, but Charlotte 250 "lotto balls" are virtual - it's really 250 combos.

You seem to be dead on, I had to go read a few descriptions of the process and while it does seem a bit convoluted it does seem hard to fix and does explain the term virtual balls. I do seem to learn something every day.

 

[Mass]

I don't want to start arguing about the lottery, if it's rigged or not, because we will never have any evidence of that. I just want to post here this link, where you can see what 10 NBA players think about it.

BTW, among those players you'll find DMC too.

http://www.sportando.net/ita/usa/nb...a-la-reazione-su-twitter-di-10-giocatori.html

 

[uolj]

I don't want to start arguing about the lottery, if it's rigged or not, because we will never have any evidence of that. I just want to post here this link, where you can see what 10 NBA players think about it.

BTW, among those players you'll find DMC too.

http://www.sportando.net/ita/usa/nb...a-la-reazione-su-twitter-di-10-giocatori.html

You know. We do have evidence, some of which was presented in this thread.

And I hope ten NBA players' twitter comments don't actually influence your opinion on the subject much. I doubt anybody is going to tweet comment about how the lottery isn't rigged, and player opinions should be pretty low on your list of authorities to put stock in.

 

[Mass]

You know. We do have evidence, some of which was presented in this thread.

And I hope ten NBA players' twitter comments don't actually influence your opinion on the subject much. I doubt anybody is going to tweet comment about how the lottery isn't rigged, and player opinions should be pretty low on your list of authorities to put stock in.

Well, I have my opinion, but it's based on my feelings. I have no inside information, so it's all speculation. I find interesting to see that some players might think the same thing. Not just young player, but also veterans like Rip Hamilton and Anthony Parker. This is not going to change my opinion at all, but I just wanted to post it because it's a fact, it's what some players think. Everyone is free to have his own conclusion.