This is the league in which we PLANNED to replay the 2009-10 season, with help from the 50 Greatest Players of all time, who were to make up the draft pool. But along the way an inexcusable delay of the 09-10 players got in the way, so we're gonna salvage the league by using the same concept with the 08-09 players. There will be a two-round draft in the 24-team league, with each team coming away with 2 all-timers (so, technically, it's the Greatest 48 players of all time). It's a worst-to-first draft in both rounds, meaning Sacramento will have the first pick in rounds 1 and 2, and the City that Now Hates LeBron will pick last in each round. Here are the rules:
- No WW, Rookies or Trades (and that includes no trading of draft spots).
- Each team will draft 2 all-time greats. Those players are yours exclusively. You can use any season of your draftees' careers, ABA and NBA alike. To make room for them on your roster, you're the coach/GM: cut any 2 players who don't fit.
- There will be one all-time great clone: Shaquille O'Neal (the only active player on the 50 Greatest team). Other "clones" will be players who were traded during the season. You can only use players who performed for your team. Let's use the Kings/Bulls as an example. Although John Salmons had identical stats in Chicago as he did in Sacramento, the coaches from both of those franchises will have to take what he gave each team: the Kings get his 53 games in Sacramento; the Bulls get his 26 games in Chicago).
- The salary cap will be high enough so that everyone fits under it.
- Divisional/conference alignment will be kept as close to real life as possible. Please find a way to either incorporate the city or nickname of your team when naming your squad. Also, not that the game factors this in, but also try to use an arena that is identified with your team (the Celtics playing in Staples or the Knicks at Boston Garden just seems criminal).
- Have lots of fun
Here is the official list of the 50 Greatest Players, released in 1996:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/nba_50_greatest.html
Draft order:
1.Sacramento (hoosier25)
2. Washington (tormaz)
3. LA Clippers (holleybard)
4. Oklahoma City (eleibowitz)
5. Minnesota (stheo81)
6. Memphis (jstewart281)
7. Golden State
8. New York
9. Toronto (empdenied)
10. New Jersey
11. Milwaukee
12. Charlotte
13. Indiana
14. Detroit
15. Philadelphia
16. Chicago
17. Miami (flipper)
18. Phoenix
19. Atlanta (mcefali)
20. Utah
21. New Orleans
22. Dallas (birdparker)
23. Houston (chrisvillani)
24. Portland (jrolfe)
25. San Antonio (chewbiedooby)
26. Denver (sappy)
27. Orlando
28. Boston (poddy)
29. LA Lakers
30. Cleveland
7/29/2010 6:40 AM (edited)