Payroll, the Draft and Competitive Balance

Truehoop had a today analyzing payroll and draft success as they correlate to competitive balance.

Basically, the draft matters a WHOLE LOT more than team salaries. And no surprise, the Clips rank dead last in draft value.

It's really sad how poorly this team has done in the draft over the past decade. Elgin was just awful at his job. But it also shows that despite Donald Sterling, if Neil Olshey turns out to be good at identifying young talent and drafting well, this team is far more likely to do better (of course based on this analysis, you probably shouldn't be trading first rounders).

I really believe that next year's draft will be critical. If they use the two first rounders (Clips and Minny) wisely, I believe Blake will stay and this team will be a contender. If they botch those picks, we'll have missed a great and rare opportunity.

7 months ago madglove 10 comments 0 recs |

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Wait... I thought the Clips didn't have their own next year...

Went away in the deal for Bledsoe, owned now by Boston, right?

by John Raffo on Oct 26, 2011 8:49 PM PDT reply actions

No it's like the mini pick

the Celtics don’t get it unless we have a pick higher than 10 (I think it is protected until 2015, not quite sure though).

"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown

by bestclipfan on Oct 26, 2011 9:03 PM PDT up reply actions

So we won’t have our own pick next year as we’re going to make the PO!
There’s no way this team stays one of the 10 worse

by paris clips man on Oct 26, 2011 10:42 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Yep

You’re right, it’s top 10 protected until 2015.

And yeah obviously if they make the playoffs they’ll only have 1 pick. Hopefully that’s the case but it’s still a tall order.

by madglove on Oct 27, 2011 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions

Hell if we are pick falls out of the top 10 protected

and we aren’t in the playoffs that would mean we at least almost made the playoffs which would be a big jump from the last few seasons.

"It's better to be an optimist who is sometimes wrong than a pessimist who is always right"unknown

by bestclipfan on Oct 27, 2011 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions

Agreed

Every year we all think they’re going to make the playoffs. But even with Blake this team only won 3 more games than the dreadful year before. It’s not easy to make huge jumps in the W/L record.

by madglove on Oct 27, 2011 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Particularly when the talent is relatively thin and

the key players get injured

"[Fans are] not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that [I] weigh them."
Mike Dunleavy, Sr.

by Jax on Oct 27, 2011 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Man, I'm not much of an optimist...

But the west looks weaker, not stronger, and I gotta think the Clips will be out of the bottom ten and could slip into the playoffs. Of course, I’m also assuming their personnel will improve.

by John Raffo on Oct 27, 2011 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions

We need to draft Andrew Luck from Stanford!

Oh wait he is a football QB. Draft him anyway he is so good.

"Screw the NBA, where is my red, white and blue basketball"

by PV Mike on Oct 27, 2011 6:50 AM PDT reply actions

Was reading this same article

And basically the Clips are bad at drafting because they’ve had high picks and a low amount of wins. I’m not saying the Clips are good at drafting, but you have to factor in some bad luck and DTS’ unwillingness to spend to build a good team.

by Piatkowski on Oct 27, 2011 10:23 PM PDT reply actions