Quotes from Chairman Dave

[ShoogarBear]

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When NBA commissioner David Stern sets his sights on change, very little can dissuade him, especially if he is protecting the "integrity of the game." There has been the dress code, the age limit, and the so-called zero-tolerance policy when it comes to players arguing calls. Now the lottery system appears destined for a shake-up.

At a meeting with sports editors last week in New York City, Stern addressed his concerns about the current system. The thought of odds falling in favor of a team that threw games at the end of the season doesn't sit well.

Asked if he worried that teams may not try as hard as possible to win when the top pick is a prize for that, Stern said, "It gets our attention. We have to look at the way we do things. I do not know if what we do now is the best."

The Grizzlies posted the worst record this season, and under the weighted lottery system, they have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. The Celtics had the second-worst record and have a 19.9 percent chance of winning the lottery.
Stern provided no suggestions to improve the system, but he detailed how the lottery has evolved to keep the process as honest as possible.

"We are going to look at it," said Stern. "We went from a two-team coin flip to a lottery with 11 envelopes, one of which was either frozen or bent at the corner or whatever. That was great for my reputation, not to mention that it was an accusation of a felony. From that we went to ping-pong balls to what we have now."

Stern also took time to review the impact of the most recent draft-related NBA rule change.

On the 19-year-old age limit that went into effect last year, Stern said, "A lot of players went to college and found out they were not as good as they thought they were and they are staying in school and getting better. That is a good thing. It gave [Greg] Oden and [Kevin] Durant a year to play in college and create attention for the draft. The value of a draft pick is worth more now."

Just ask those teams that angled for the worst record this season.

**On stricter referees in light of the zero-tolerance policy: "Before, everything was a negotiation. If it wasn't the player arguing a call, it was the coach or the designated assistant coach. We got rid of that."


**On Shaquille O'Neal not being fined for criticizing a referee by name: "What did Shaq say? [That the referee ran him out of the game on fouls.] Truth is a good defense. He did get run out by fouls. And they were all good calls."

**On watching playoff games: "I still like going to games. I get great seats. But it's hard to enjoy myself. I go to a game hoping certain things don't happen: No one gets injured, there are no fights, the game isn't decided on a bad call."

**On holding the All-Star Game in Las Vegas: "It was a success from the point of view of the game, the players, and the experience of the fans. We are mindful that a few certain people who came to the city without tickets [were in the news]. Welcome to the NBA, where issues of youth, culture, and race are always at the epicenter."

[Fabbs]

noice article.

**On watching playoff games: "I still like going to games. I get great seats. But it's hard to enjoy myself. I go to a game hoping certain things don't happen: No one gets injured, there are no fights, the game isn't decided on a bad call."

Truthfulness from his lordship.
Wonder what the plan to fix is?