It’s that time of year again…the time when Blazersedge readers unite and take our own stab at a Real Live Mock Draft. The format is simple: we go down the list and exercise those draft picks, each team being represented by a Blazersedge reader. When we’re all done it’s a great discussion piece and it’s lots of fun to boot. We call it a “Real Live” mock draft to differentiate it because unlike other mock drafts we allow trading up, down, in, and out WITHIN REASON (more on that later). It’s not so much a mock draft as a Simulated Draft Day.
Here’s how this works:
--All this week we’re going to be recruiting mock drafters to represent teams. If you’re interested in being one read the section after this.
--On Friday, June 13th at 9:00 a.m. Pacific we will start the draft process. The Chicago Bulls rep will be on the clock. He or she will e-mail me their pick and its rationale, then I will post it. After seeing who the Bulls pick the Miami Heat rep will go and so on.
--The draft will continue throughout the day. You will see it as it evolves. After the draft is over you’ll have a chance to rate its accuracy and the acumen of the individual GM’s.
If you want to be a GM, here are the qualifications:
1. First and foremost, you MUST BE AVAILABLE and BY YOUR COMPUTER on Friday the 13th. We will probably split the draft into morning and afternoon parts so you don’t have to be by your computer all day, but maybe 2-3 hours. If you’re not sure you can be there, you can’t do it. Sorry, we can’t be waiting two hours for each pick because people aren’t there.
2. You don’t get to pick your team, you’ll be assigned one. Therefore you need to be fairly knowledgeable about both the draft prospects and the league in general to participate. We’re striving for some accuracy here, so try to study up on your team a little once you get it. We will also need a couple people who have good general knowledge to be on-call stand-ins in case somebody doesn’t submit their pick within the time limit.
3. You have to be willing to share your e-mail with the 30 or so other people who are participating. We distribute them to all GM’s so you can talk trades and such beforehand.
4. You have to have a level head and take the project at least a little seriously. The danger to opening up trades is that people feel like they’re not a “real” GM unless they make one. I’ll forewarn you that all trades have to be submitted to and approved by me and I am pretty strict about what I allow so as not to make a mockery of the process. Both sides of a trade will have to convince me how it clearly benefits their team. That’s not to say I control the process entirely…just don’t be expecting to involve Kevin Durant in a five-way deal to pick up Derrick Rose and don’t expect to have every second team involved in a trade. I would urge the same caution with picks, though I don’t monitor those as closely. It’s tempting to make the avant garde pick to bolster excitement and feel more “real”. Real GM’s generally make reasoned, often pretty basic picks. The point of the exercise is only partially your thrill…it’s also for the site and its audience.
If you want to be a GM, please e-mail me at the address below and let me know whether you can be at your computer from 9:00-noon on Friday the 13th, from 1:00-4:00, or both. Priority will be given in placing those who say they are available anytime.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)