The season of tanking has begun in the NBA.
One NBA general manager says his team plans to tank all season in order to secure one of the top prospects expected to declare for the NBA Draft next season.
In an article written for ESPN the Magazine, the GM justifies his logic by saying “the last place you want to be is in the middle.”
“ Our team isn’t good enough to win and we know it. So this season we want to develop and evaluate our young players, let them learn from their mistakes — and get us in position to grab a great player. The best way for us to do that is to lose a lot of games. This draft is loaded. There are potential All-Stars at the top, maybe even franchise changers. Sometimes my job is to understand the value of losing.
We’re not alone. Look at the 76ers. Since the draft in June, I don’t think they’ve signed a player or made a trade to add a legitimate player. A bunch of us realize that our teams aren’t good enough talentwise to do anything. You’re going to be bad. There’s no way around it. And even if you finish 0-82, there’s still a 75 percent chance you don’t get the No. 1 pick. We’re just going to take our lumps and hope our number gets called.”
I always think that if you play hard all season long, you let the chips fall where they may. To deliberately go out and lose games and pray you hit the lottery is absolutely the worst decision you can make...Do you gamble your paycheck or blow it on some BS and pray you hit the lottery.
What kind of thinking is this, is there some perfect track record that shows this really works...smh
knicks1248 wrote:The season of tanking has begun in the NBA.
One NBA general manager says his team plans to tank all season in order to secure one of the top prospects expected to declare for the NBA Draft next season.
In an article written for ESPN the Magazine, the GM justifies his logic by saying “the last place you want to be is in the middle.”
“ Our team isn’t good enough to win and we know it. So this season we want to develop and evaluate our young players, let them learn from their mistakes — and get us in position to grab a great player. The best way for us to do that is to lose a lot of games. This draft is loaded. There are potential All-Stars at the top, maybe even franchise changers. Sometimes my job is to understand the value of losing.
We’re not alone. Look at the 76ers. Since the draft in June, I don’t think they’ve signed a player or made a trade to add a legitimate player. A bunch of us realize that our teams aren’t good enough talentwise to do anything. You’re going to be bad. There’s no way around it. And even if you finish 0-82, there’s still a 75 percent chance you don’t get the No. 1 pick. We’re just going to take our lumps and hope our number gets called.”
I always think that if you play hard all season long, you let the chips fall where they may. To deliberately go out and lose games and pray you hit the lottery is absolutely the worst decision you can make...Do you gamble your paycheck or blow it on some BS and pray you hit the lottery.
What kind of thinking is this, is there some perfect track record that shows this really works...smh
I hate this mentality that has taken over them game. That trying your best is pointless unless you're guaranteed to win it all. That being in the middle is somehow worse than being last. That there's no merit in competing. I didn't start watching basketball to watch team not even bother trying. If you're not going to try, give the fans their money back.
and yet I cant blame them. When you look at building a team you need stars. Now these guys dont even want to be the man. They want to be surrounded with talent as well.
The problem is the NBA draft is so unbalanced. I mean one spot could be the difference between Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn. The right pick can set you up for 10 years.
fishmike wrote:and yet I cant blame them. When you look at building a team you need stars. Now these guys dont even want to be the man. They want to be surrounded with talent as well.The problem is the NBA draft is so unbalanced. I mean one spot could be the difference between Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn. The right pick can set you up for 10 years.
Your right but how often does the 1st or second pick turn out to be Milic, greg oden, or some other shmuck..you don't develop talent by losing over and over, how is that an attraction to FA's when your current young squad has a losing mentality.
The bottom line is you need a front office with a plan. The Knicks organization is inept so no matter what path they choose it will not be the right one.
gunsnewing wrote:The bottom line is you need a front office with a plan. The Knicks organization is inept so no matter what path they choose it will not be the right one.
So true, and thus so depressing.
gunsnewing wrote:The bottom line is you need a front office with a plan. The Knicks organization is inept so no matter what path they choose it will not be the right one.
Can't argue that
knicks1248 wrote:gunsnewing wrote:The bottom line is you need a front office with a plan. The Knicks organization is inept so no matter what path they choose it will not be the right one.
Can't argue that
But even that's no guarantee. Look at the Mavs- they had their plan after they won the championship, and it just hasn't worked because of changing circumstances (Dwight picking up his player option). Donnie Walsh had a plan. It's planning, but it's luck too, I suppose. And also how GMs and teams adapt to the circumstances- Morey was on the verge of being fired, then the new CBA came along and he used it to his advantage- got Asik, and Lin and did the Harden trade all because of the new harsher luxury tax penalties in the new cba. That team then helped him sign Dwight.
fishmike wrote:and yet I cant blame them. When you look at building a team you need stars. Now these guys dont even want to be the man. They want to be surrounded with talent as well.The problem is the NBA draft is so unbalanced. I mean one spot could be the difference between Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn. The right pick can set you up for 10 years.
yea, but the draft is supposed to be for those who actually try to win and for some reason, injury or lack of talent can't win, then you are rewarded with the chance at prime talent... I think that is how it should operate..
of course the teams that play to lose, often never come out on top in the long run, establishing an environment where losing is ok, and that winning isn't the prime objective, will make itself manifest...
cavs tank, true, they got lebron, true, and then lost him in an embarrassing display on national TV.. call it Karma? who knows... now they have kyrie irvin.. he is no lebron, but the cavs did go about their business the right way.... maybe they are being rewarded now.. who knows..
they need to change draft lottery rules.
like if you draft #1 this year, you can not get a top 5 pick in the next draft.
or if you spend over $10 mil on a FA, then you can not get a top 3 draft pick.
etc.
djsunyc wrote:they need to change draft lottery rules.like if you draft #1 this year, you can not get a top 5 pick in the next draft.or if you spend over $10 mil on a FA, then you can not get a top 3 draft pick.
etc.
I like that first rule. Simple but effective.
Philli gets a Noel, and he's done for the season before the season even starts, kyrie has already missed 60 games in his 2 yrs in the league..lottery thing is a crap shoot
I totally disagree with you. Spurs tanked for Duncan and Cavs tanked for Lebron. The bucks stayed in the middle zone and we have seen who had the least success of the 3. Like in poker you gotta know when to hold them and when to fold them. That is the correct saying right? I actually never play poker but it sounded good!
The guy said "play the young guys and develope them"....
Not, "TANK".....
While it may be one and the same its how you play the Utes!
Lets not forget this is "entertainment" not "I Pay to see wins!" If the games are competitive and fans have fun then it can work. If you got a "Mecca" and fans "deserve" to win then it won't.
So if a young team, like the Pelicans did last year develope the utes Im ok with that. Norlens was like the 6th pick and he was damaged already so its not like Philly got burned.
Knicks don't have the picks to even go on this route so we need not worry.
All teams that finish the lottery should get equal odds to win it. That way there is no tanking, just honest basketball and wherever you land has no influence on where you pick. You will either be a playoff team or one with the same chances in the lottery as everyone else. It also rewards those teams that attempt to sign big name players to improve (Charlotte and Milwaukee this season for example) but may not be able to attract enough talent to get into the playoffs despite efforts.
Sound strategy year or two of losing and you have a team. Not locked into mediocrity, or trying to contend for a title when the majority of the Teams window is closed. I was begging the Knicks to employ this strategy the year LeBron was coming out. I would fire a GM for not doing this.
10 yrs it took the bulls to recover from jordan (elton brand, eddy curry tyson chandler). We won 23 games under Larry brown and we got gallo for our tanking
knicks1248 wrote:10 yrs it took the bulls to recover from jordan (elton brand, eddy curry tyson chandler). We won 23 games under Larry brown and we got gallo for our tanking
We never tanked. We just sucked in general. The problem is we did not suck enough to get a higher pick.
MaTT4281 wrote:djsunyc wrote:they need to change draft lottery rules.like if you draft #1 this year, you can not get a top 5 pick in the next draft.or if you spend over $10 mil on a FA, then you can not get a top 3 draft pick.
etc.
I like that first rule. Simple but effective.
Every team should try their best. If youre not that good--you should receive a pick based on where you fall/lottery etc.. what else is there?
Clean wrote:knicks1248 wrote:10 yrs it took the bulls to recover from jordan (elton brand, eddy curry tyson chandler). We won 23 games under Larry brown and we got gallo for our tanking
We never tanked. We just sucked in general. The problem is we did not suck enough to get a higher pick.
That is why losing lasted more than a decade. Locked into a position not good enough to make playoff and just good enough to not get the worst record.
you need stars... but if I'm an owner, I want asses in the chairs unless they're spending $8 on a hot dog and $12 on a warm domestic beer. If no one's watching, and then the ping pong balls don't land right, then the GM needs to try to get a job at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, because they got an excellent corporate structure and they... *they* give *you* the tools to be your own boss
