GSW Benching Healthy Starters

[collin_k41]

My question to those Wolves fans upset with the Warriors for tanking:

Will you still be mad if the Warriors win anyway tonight?

LOL!!! Being a Wolves fan, I've learned to expect the unexpected...and I mean that in a bad way.

It's sad but true. I don't think anyone here is really ticked off that you guys are tanking. We just think that tanking is becoming a problem and yes, we've done it too. My point is...well I have no point.

[Sleepy51]

Stern needs to make an example out of a team that is blatantly and obviously tanking..I vote take their 1st round pick away and have a lottery in which each team in the NBA has one ball and winner takes the pick. Or maybe just the lottery teams cuz we all know the celtics, lakers, etc. don't need another star..The hard thing is proving the tanking. I think Stern needs to make a formal warning that there WILL be consequences to tanking.

As for tonight's game, I'll never wish a loss upon this team. That doesn't mean I don't expect us to lose pretty much every night we're on the floor without Al though. At least losing doesn't feel too bad knowing we are just improving our chances to bring in a nice player for next year.

Maybe just take their balls and spread them out between the remaining 13 lottery teams, and move the tanking team back to the 14th pick automatically, thus a few teams all move up at least one spot. Of course I have conflicting thoughts on this:

1. Proving a team is tanking could be tough. Benching healthy stars is a smoking gun, but not multiple eye witnesses.

2. Isn't the actual tanking enough of a punishment? The casual fan is going to lose interest in the losing team, thus hurting their attendance, the attitude changes for the team, and really, what's the big deal in tanking? I mean obviously you play to win the game, and it goes against everything I believe in as a competitor, but if a team has had major injuries and decides to basically shut down the stars for the last 20 games to rebuild next year, it doesn't bother me much. The season's wasted, might as well make the most of it and get your young players who are the future of the franchise some much needed minutes and experience.

A couple of things folks need to consider.

#1 Nellie's "starters" were on pace for maybe a 28 win season. Monta Ellis was not healthy to return, and without him, the other guys are a horrible combination of player typs.

#2 We have been "starting" 6'6" wings at the PF spot. We have too many of those players, and Nellie recently discovered that we have a game ready PF in Anthony Randolph. The wing minutes have to be clipped. Nelson has decided to just give guys the night off vs. playing them lesser minutes. This way when they are active, they get to play thier normal role.

#3 As a 30 year Warrior fan, the last 3 games where we've gotten to see plenty of Anthony Randolph have been the most fun games since before the 07 playoffs. Last year was a stat whoring contract pushing sham of an effort by players we have since dealt or encouraged to walk away so we can rebuild. Rebuiling eventually requires playing younger guys.

The Warrior franchise has been plagued by a front office dominated by marketing concerns for most of my adult life. This is the first time I can remember that the front office has empowered anyone to make decisions in terms of the team's future best interest, rather than the immediate concern over selling tickets today. As mentioned above, there is a gate hit coming in terms of casual fan interest. For longtime fans, we've been waiting a long long long time for the Cohan/Rowell regime to take one for the team and put the future first. Don Nelson has a multi-year contract in Golden State with an exit clause that opens the door to front office/consulting position. He is being paid to put this franchise on path to contention, and if getting our CHEAPER, YOUNGER players face time to build trade value is in the best long term interest of the team, then everyone else needs to back off and mind their business.

There's no way we can tank into the 1-3 spots, and this draft is not special outside of those picks. The actions being taken today really are about developing our promising young talent, either to start for us in the near future, or to raise their trade values so we can make moves to improve the team despite our numerous long term salary commitments. Losing games in the lotto chase is just a bonus.

MYOB.

[_AIJ_]

nvm

[Sleepy51]

You guys are way better at tanking than us.

[Ben_Dover]

The actions being taken today really are about developing our promising young talent, either to start for us in the near future, or to raise their trade values so we can make moves to improve the team despite our numerous long term salary commitments. Losing games in the lotto chase is just a bonus.

exactly!

why is it considered so wrong for the Warriors to play their young talent for the last 20 games, when the season is already lost? It's a perfect time to get them into the games.
Also it's not like the kids playing aren't trying to win and make the games close and entertaining.
IMHO they give us a better chance at winning than when we have all our chuckers [Jackson, Maggette, and Crawford] in the game together. anyways...

Keep in mind the Warriors are 4-3 in their last 7 games. AND they just lost the Charlotte game the other day in the last seconds or they would have been 5-2.

Now if they go and beat you guys tonight, then what? They will be 5-3 in their last 8 games.

Does that really count as a major TANK job that requires getting their pick taken away?

or are people getting a little carried away here?

[Sleepy51]

Ok, this is effing ridiculous. Did you guys specifically sign Shelden just to make sure you would lose to us?

[J-Rich-]

wolves are tanking!!!

[Basti]

wolves are tanking!!!

no we just suck

[john2jer]

Maybe just take their balls and spread them out between the remaining 13 lottery teams,

For some reason, I cringed as I read that.

Then my work here is done.

[Sleepy51]

You people don't respect the game

[ChazzleDazzle]

Sleepy, at this point you're arguing with yourself. Couldn't you accomplish the same thing on your own board? Or in a dark room by yourself?

Shelden played 5 mins. Not really a very good attempt at tanking, if that's what it was.

We are what we said we were (thanks Denny). A team that was bad BEFORE it lost its franchise player. Now, we really do suck.

If that's a conspiracy, we (the fans) are the ones getting the short end of the stick.

For the record, I'm not in favor of taking away picks or punishing teams that the commish thinks may be tanking (Who decides who a team's best players are, so that they can punish you for not playing them proper minutes? Who decides what proper minutes are? Will there be a committee who will issue the official ruling that Mark Madsen jacking up 6 3-pointers is okay, but 7 is tanking and we need to lose a pick?) I'd rather just see them tweak the system to make tanking less effective and/or desirable. But in a league where your season can be over before the halfway point and where 1 player can make a losing team into a winning one in his first year in the league (see also Chris Paul), you're going to have tanking no matter how you tweak the system. That's what happens now even though the odds are significantly against the worst team in the league actually getting the #1 pick...

Of course that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. But I'm not.

[Sleepy51]

I was just teasing guys. I meant it all in good fun. No disrespect intended. I'm just kinda a wise ass.

Peace.