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Chad Ford, in an ESPN Insider piece this week, tries to deal with yet another unknown: what happens to the NBA Draft if the entire season is lost? The 2012 Draft is looking like one of the strongest ever with a number of underclassmen like Harrison Barnes staying in school rather than waiting out the lockout.
Ford speculates on three scenarios, two of which would help the Nets. In the first, the 2010 lottery would be re-run with without trades, meaning the Nets would have the sixth best chance of winning it all. In the other, there'd be a modified version of the post-lockout NHL Draft. Teams' lottery position would be determined by their record over the last five years. The Nets have had a losing record in four of those. Only the middle scenario, a league wide lottery, would hurt the Nets.
But Ford also notes that teams would be hamstrung in their scouting if current rules still apply in the spring. "I can't really see a scenario where the league would let us do stuff like the pre-draft camp, individual workouts or interviews if the lockout is still under way," one prominent GM told ESPN Insider.
- NBA Draft - How the lockout affects the 2012 draft and lottery - Chad Ford - ESPN Insider
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NBA's season starts to fade, and may not be missed until Christmas - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger