Ultimate Conspiracy theory to beat all Conspiracy theories...

[Ogaju]

the NBA is all about entertainment.

The league began an upward trend to prominence with the east coast west coast competition introduced by Magic Johnson in LA vs. Larry Bird in Boston. The league rode this to prominence. After this, the league hung its hat on Nike and MJ the greatest player of all time. After that the center of attraction was Shaq/Kobe in LA. After that we have the LeBron James era. LeBron is on his way out, and the league is looking for its next selling point. Enter two Pac12 rival players Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz with a chance to be drafted by Lakers and Cetics. Can you say 'oh happy day'? As the sayings goes, 'history repeats itself' or 'why reinvent the wheel' or 'if it aint broke why fix it' whichever works.

I believe the deal has been cut, and that is why the Lakers do not care and have actually won two games. Lakers will get the 1st pick because they have agreed to pick Ball. Celtics will get the second pick and pick Fultz. These two will drive the NBA narrative for the next 10 years. Shrug.

[NHCelticsFan]

I wouldn't complain!

I do wonder how much the business side of things comes in to play for the league.  I'm sure if we really looked we could find plenty of examples that support that claim.  Frozen Envelopes, refs fixing games (the infamous Kings playoffs and the guy who wrote the book a few years ago).

At the end of the day I don't give it much thought, but the results of this draft could certainly add more fuel to the fire for those who do!

[spikelovetheCelts]

Another big one was Patrick Ewing to the Knicks. 

[Donoghus]

The conspiracy is all good & well until you face the reality of how much would need to be involved to make a cover up work.  Not to mention that I seriously doubt that a global accounting firm like Ernst & Young would risk everything to rig a sports draft lottery.

[Granath]

the NBA is all about entertainment.

I believe the deal has been cut...

I believe unfounded conspiracy theories are all about entertainment. Thanks for the giggle!

[Surferdad]

Anoterr big one was Patrick Ewing to the Knicks.

Even bigger was Duncan to the Spurs.  Of course Timmy often gets forgotten among the greatest of our era.

Anyway, the conspiracy theory by the OP is as good as any I have heard.  I just don't happen to believe in any of them.

[fairweatherfan]

Why not just give Boston the #1 and the Lakers #2 to get the same outcome in a way that's more consistent with the odds, making it less suspicious?

The conspiracy is all good & well until you face the reality of how much would need to be involved to make a cover up work.  Not to mention that I seriously doubt that a global accounting firm like Ernst & Young would risk everything to rig a sports draft lottery.

Yeah the thing that makes conspiracy theories attractive is that they're extremely straightforward as long as you don't think them through. Actually start pondering what would have to happen to make the conspiracies work and they get complicated in a hurry.

[hodgy03038]

Why not just give Boston the #1 and the Lakers #2 to get the same outcome in a way that's more consistent with the odds, making it less suspicious?

The conspiracy is all good & well until you face the reality of how much would need to be involved to make a cover up work.  Not to mention that I seriously doubt that a global accounting firm like Ernst & Young would risk everything to rig a sports draft lottery.

Yeah the thing that makes conspiracy theories attractive is that they're extremely straightforward as long as you don't think them through. Actually start pondering what would have to happen to make the conspiracies work and they get complicated in a hurry.

My theory is they want New York back in the picture and definitely LA. Unfortunately for the league they will be required to give us at least the #4 pick. For some strange reason when I do the ESPN draft lottery simulator we most of the time come up with #4 and strangely enough NY gets #1 far more often than the Celts. NY with a 6% chance and BOS with a 25% chance so it makes no sense other than it's rigged and they are setting us up for the inevitable.

[fairweatherfan]

Why not just give Boston the #1 and the Lakers #2 to get the same outcome in a way that's more consistent with the odds, making it less suspicious?

The conspiracy is all good & well until you face the reality of how much would need to be involved to make a cover up work.  Not to mention that I seriously doubt that a global accounting firm like Ernst & Young would risk everything to rig a sports draft lottery.

Yeah the thing that makes conspiracy theories attractive is that they're extremely straightforward as long as you don't think them through. Actually start pondering what would have to happen to make the conspiracies work and they get complicated in a hurry.

My theory is they want New York back in the picture and definitely LA. Unfortunately for the league they will be required to give us at least the #4 pick. For some strange reason when I do the ESPN draft lottery simulator we most of the time come up with #4 and strangely enough NY gets #1 far more often than the Celts. NY with a 6% chance and BOS with a 25% chance so it makes no sense other than it's rigged and they are setting us up for the inevitable.

Wow they've even rigged the lottery simulators for psyops huh? Deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole.



Update: I just ran the ESPN simulator 12 times and we got 1st 3 times, exactly in line with our "odds". 2nd 4 times, 3rd twice, 4th 3 times. The Knicks moved up twice, to 2nd and 3rd, and picked below us in 11 out of 12 draws. The only possible explanation is that they know I'm skeptical of rigging so they reverse-rigged the simulator to make it seem fair so I won't suspect anything when the actual rigged draw happens.

[Smartacus]

I think a really underrated one was Anthony Davis going to New Orleans the very year Tom Benson bought the Pelicans from the NBA.

They were given the All Star Game and if you ask me a franchise corner stone in Anthony Davis as part of the negotiations. Now to be clear New Orleans did have the best odds that year for the number one pick that year but IMO there was absolutely 0% chance that they were walking away with anyone other than AD.

Also eyebrow raising was Derrick Rose landing in his home town Chicago despite their astronomically slim chance of landing him and Cleveland scoring 3 first overall selections in the years that Lebron was in Miami. The LeBron thing essentially reads like... The initial build around LeBron failed, he had to go to restart their franchise, by the time LeBron's Miami contract was up they had built up a team that LeBron could win with.

[Androslav]

I think a really underrated one was Anthony Davis going to New Orleans the very year Tom Benson bought the Pelicans from the NBA.

They were given the All Star Game and if you ask me a franchise corner stone in Anthony Davis as part of the negotiations. Now to be clear New Orleans did have the best odds that year for the number one pick that year but IMO there was absolutely 0% chance that they were walking away with anyone other than AD.

Also eyebrow raising was Derrick Rose landing in his home town Chicago despite their astronomically slim chance of landing him and Cleveland scoring 3 first overall selections in the years that Lebron was in Miami. The LeBron thing essentially reads like... The initial build around LeBron failed, he had to go to restart their franchise, by the time LeBron's Miami contract was up they had built up a team that LeBron could win with.

I agree on all acounts Smartacus.
And it is easy to explain. The league earns more money in all cases mentioned. TP

[Ogaju]

Someone says Ernst and Young would not participate. Lol
Enron anyone?

If there is no rigging just have the drawing in public.

[boscel33]

I wouldn't complain!

I do wonder how much the business side of things comes in to play for the league.  I'm sure if we really looked we could find plenty of examples that support that claim.  Frozen Envelopes, refs fixing games (the infamous Kings playoffs and the guy who wrote the book a few years ago).

At the end of the day I don't give it much thought, but the results of this draft could certainly add more fuel to the fire for those who do!

Agree, sign me up....

[Donoghus]

Someone says Ernst and Young would not participate. Lol
Enron anyone?

If there is no rigging just have the drawing in public.

That was Arthur Anderson, not E&Y.  Do your homework.

They draw in front of team representatives.  If there was rigging going on, don't you think that some team would get peeved & call them out on it?

[fairweatherfan]

Someone says Ernst and Young would not participate. Lol
Enron anyone?

If there is no rigging just have the drawing in public.

Man, it's Groundhog Day with these arguments every single year.  Having the actual drawing live would kill the dramatic element and take a much longer and less predictable amount of time - Philly combos came up twice in a row last year, for example, so they had to redraw for #2. 

Instead they record the entire drawing and post it online every year. Here's last year's:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Pm9rSKXKo

Feel the excitement!  Also please point out the rigging if you could.