How to Follow the NBA Draft

Once a year the NBA conducts a 2-round draft. It is a highly entertaining event if you know what is going on. Nearly every player that enters the league has his rights claimed through the draft. It is the night where everyone finds out where the Michael Jordans and Kobe Bryants will play their games. If you do not follow the NBA draft, you will miss the beginning of these professional players' careers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Spare time
• Eye for talent

1. Know the format of the draft. The draft is 2 rounds long and there is a pick allocated to every team. The order of the draft is determined in 2 ways. The first 3 picks in the draft are awarded to the 3 teams that win the lottery. Every team that does not make the playoffs is entered in the lottery. The team that wins the lottery gets the first pick, the team drawn next in the lottery gets the second pick and the team drawn third gets the third pick. From the fourth pick through the end of the first round, the remaining teams are slotted by their records with the team with the worst record that did not win the lottery picking fourth. The second round selections are determined strictly by record with the team with the worst record receiving the first pick in the second round.
2. Get to know the players in the draft. Not just anyone can be drafted. Players who have completed their eligibility in a United States college are automatically eligible. International players are eligible the year they turn 22. Also players can declare their eligibility either the year after they graduate from high school or when they turn 19. Pay attention to who declares for the draft and who has used up their eligibility and is automatically eligible. Typically the most coveted players in the draft are early entry candidates. If you are going to follow the NBA draft, it is vital that you know the top early entry players.
3. Learn what needs every team needs to fill through the draft. Some teams need point guards, some need centers or power forwards. Teams do not necessarily draft a player that plays a position they have a need for, but team needs may determine what they do from a trade standpoint. One important key is that you do not need a favorite team to follow the NBA draft.
4. Listen to the rumors. There will be dozens of rumors that are floating around involving who the teams want to draft, what teams want to trade up in the draft, what teams want to trade down and what current players may be traded for draft picks. The rumors that surround the draft can really help build the excitement and hype as the draft approaches. In order to follow the NBA draft, you must follow the rumors.
5. Be skeptical. Most of the rumors you will read and hear are false and some are intentionally misleading. The last thing teams want is for other teams to know exactly what their plans are. Teams will purposely let out false information in an attempt to mask what they really want to do.
6. Make your own projections. Try to put everything together and attempt to determine who will be drafted where and what trades will be made. Some picks are no-brainers and some picks make you wonder what a team was thinking. Figure out your own list of the best players available. Pick a couple of players you think will eventually be the best and a couple that you think will be complete busts. Once you get to this level of understanding, you can do more than just follow the NBA draft. Now you can write about it online and be involved in the constant debating.
7. Enjoy the fireworks. The NBA draft usually only lasts about 4 or 5 hours. You do not need to set aside an entire weekend like the NFL draft, and the NBA draft is televised in its entirety unlike the MLB and NHL drafts. There are typically a handful of exciting trades and controversial picks. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the night is the fancy suits that the players wear. It is basically the NBA's version of the Academy Awards and the worst dressed list is usually much longer than the best dressed list.

Tips & Warnings

• It helps to watch college basketball as that is where most of the drafted players come from. You can follow the NBA draft without following college basketball, but every year you will have to learn about the players from scratch and that is a lot of work.