"Like many of you, I love progressives because you can watch a player compete for several seasons. But planning ahead for that great season your stud will have in three years just didn't seem very realistic to me. Where's the pre-season anticipation of hoping that THIS is the year your squad finally puts it all together? That's what we've tried to create with the Ultimate Random-as-Possible Progressive (URAPP) League.
Season usage: Most progressives follow from year to year in order. This one is different because every player in history is available at the same time. Prior to each season of this league, your player years will be selected randomly. If you have Michael Jordan, you'll get any year between (and including) 1984 and 2003. This means you could get a fantastic season out of him, or instead get a non-WIS year. For example, if 1993-1994 is selected (when he was playing baseball) you have to put him on IR for that season. The same goes for any year in which a player did not play enough to qualify for a WIS listing or has less than 500 minutes. You could even get the same year two seasons in a row. This adds a more realistic element in the sense that you know you have a great player, but you may or may not get a great season out of him. After the years are chosen, you may select a free agent to replace any IR player you have. A random season for him will be chosen, and this player will automatically be waived from your team at season's end.
Free Agency: This is perhaps the most unique element of this league. To incorporate the era of free agency, and to add another random element, each team will randomly lose two players after every season. Those players become free agents and can be chosen in the offseason draft. You may waive additional players if you wish. A lottery will determine every draft spot. Ranked in reverse order of finish, the percentages will be 25-20-15-10-7-6-5-3-3-3-2-1. The final 12 spots in the draft will go to the playoff teams, with each team having an equal chance at each draft spot. The order selected in this lottery will be the order used in every round of the draft. This way, there is little incentive to tank. Even the worst team only has a 25% shot at the first pick.
Cookies: All players in the WIS database are fair game. However, some players had very short careers, or are currently young players in the game. To prevent someone from overloading on players with short careers but great seasons, each team may only have two players with less than a three-year span on basketball-reference.com.
Fine print: No WW/clones. Salary cap will be just high enough to fit in everyone's team after the draft. Yes to trades in the offseason. Random alignment, and every three seasons we'll re-realign randomly. You may name your team whatever you like, it doesn't have to reflect your city or stadium.
In closing, if you like progressives, random leagues, or something new jump in! It's all the greatest players in baseball history playing in the same progressive. But please be committed to playing long-term and don't drop out if you lose your favorite player to free agency. This league should give every owner a decent chance at winning and make it tough for an owner to dominate. I hope you'll join the URAPP league!"
Rules edit: The initial draft in this league to fill rosters will work in reverse order from a normal draft. You can cut up to six people from your original roster, plus the two free spots you already have. So, the draft will go at most 8 rounds, in half hour time blocks with several people available to proxy. The draft will not snake. If you cut 6 players (needing 8 picks), you will pick in all 8 rounds. If you cut less players than that, you forfeit your potential highest round picks, rather than lowest. So, theoretically, the first few rounds will go quickly, while more people are added in in additional rounds.
Subsequent drafts will follow normal drafting format.
Other edits made above, including lottery rules, IR rules, and stuff I didn't know didn't exist in the NBA world.
Draft odds for lottery: 25-20-15-10-7-6-5-3-3-3-2-1.
A minimum of 500 minutes is required to qualify a player. If you get a player with less minutes, you are welcome to keep him or put him on IR and draft a one season replacement player.
8/5/2013 11:43 PM (edited)