This is the league in which we replay the 2009-10 season, with help from the 50 Greatest Players of all time, who make up the draft pool. 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, so New Jersey will have the first pick in rounds 1 and 2, and the LeBrons -- for now -- 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 Wizards as an example. The Wizards coach will NOT be permitted to use the 74-game season of Caron Butler; just the 47 he played in Washington.
    * The salary cap will be determined as soon as WIS unveils the 2009-10 players. But, essentially, it will be high enough where all teams will fit 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. New Jersey (holleybard) *
2. Minnesota (stheo81) *
3. Washington (mattdoolin) *
4. Philly (badja) *
5. Golden State (all3) *
6. New York (eleibowitz) *
7. New Orleans (shawbigred) *
8. Toronto (empdenied) *
9. Memphis (jstewart281) *
10. Chicago (amerk1180) *
11. Charlotte (Mikee1) *
12. Houston (chrisvillani) *
13. Miami (flipper) *
14. Portland (jrolfe)*
15. Oklahoma City (jcred5) *
16. San Antonio (chewbiedooby) *
17. Boston (Poddy) *
18. Utah (ff09) *
19. Denver (sappy) *
20. Atlanta (gadzooks)*
21. Phoenix (bkeyser) *
22. Dallas (birdparker) *
23. LA Lakers (theyard2) *
24. Orlando (detlef) *


*confirmed 23/24

Division Alignment
To Be Announced

Bump!

Are we actually going to do this draft prior to the 09-10 player release?

No, we're going to wait until the players are released. Most people in the league I've heard from think waiting is the best way to go. Also, Hoosier has informed me that no matter what happens, he's definitely drafting Bill Russell. So as soon as we get ready to draft, Minnesota is on the clock cuz Russell is definitely a Net. I wonder what he'll think of Jay-Z and the Russian billionaire.

That would be for the 10-11 season reply...

yeah... I know... just playing

Posted by flipper on 7/9/2010 11:21:00 AM (view original):

So, just to be sure I understand this correctly... since I have Miami... I get Lebron, Bosh AND D-Wade right?  Eh... just kidding, but that would be interesting

But by the time the new players come out, you just might have em all! This is a remarkable delay. I play a lot of WIS baseball, and I can guarantee this wouldn't fly if this were a baseball league. It's been said before and it's true: sim basketball is a third-class citizen on this site. It's kinda ridiculous. Btw, the happiest person in Miami now? Mario chalmers. Lots and lots and lots of open shots.

Posted by seble on 7/13/2010 3:13:00 PM (view original):
I've had some ticket requests to provide an update on the release.  As of now there really isn't anything new to tell you.  I'm still waiting to hear back from our outside stats guy to see if we can come up with a workable solution for position effectiveness.  It's proven to be much more difficult than expected.  That's the hold up right now.  If anything changes on that front I promise I will post it here.  Since tinmanpb left us we no longer have a full-time stat analyst to do this type of work, so it will take longer than it used to for things like this.

Fill a Theme League, and now we'll probably never get to play it.

I hear you, all3. I've gone back and forth with customer service the last 2 days. They've really got to be dim if they a) are really holding this thing up over position effectiveness and b) stayed with the SAME outside statistician who is holding this thing up over PE.

Wonder how many of our 24 are still "IN" for this?

im still IN

yeah sure