Tank Rank by Chad Ford

[bwgood77]

This season I will document the race to the bottom. For some teams this means flat-out Tanking. In other words they aren't really trying to win this season. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns fit this category. They are fielding teams that barely qualify for the NBA.

For others, perhaps the proper term is "rebuilding." They will try to win on some nights, but the primary focus will be on developing the young players they already have. The Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic seem to fit this mold.

And there are a few teams on this list that hope to make the playoffs -- they just aren't very good. The Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers could be the poster children for those types of teams this season.

Regardless of the motivation, the winner of this season's worst record (yeah, I get the irony) should have a shot at a transformational player. As part of Tank Rank, we'll also keep tabs on the talent available. So if you're a Boston Celtics fan, for instance, you'll get updates on the kind of player that might be wearing green in 2014.

Here's a look at where the 10 worst teams in the NBA stand in their quest for the No. 1 pick in the draft.1. Phoenix Suns | Status: Tanking
The 76ers looked like a mortal lock to start the season in the pole position for the top pick in the draft. Suns GM Ryan McDonough shook things up on Friday in a "tanktastic" blockbuster trade that sent the best player on Phoenix's roster (and one of its few vets), Marcin Gortat, to the Wizards in exchange for Washington's protected first-round pick in 2014 and a guy with a herniated disk in his neck -- Emeka Okafor. The move, in the opinion of a number of GMs I spoke with, catapulted the Suns into the lead for the worst record in the NBA this season.

Congratulations, Suns fans.

The Suns are down to just one veteran starter -- point guard Goran Dragic. Virtually every GM I spoke with believes it's just a matter of time before he's also shipped out. The rest of the Suns' starting crew is led by Eric Bledsoe (probably the most talented player left on the roster, but playing out of position at the 2-guard spot), Miles Plumlee (who averaged 0.9 ppg for the Pacers last season), P.J. Tucker (who averaged 6.4 points per game for the Suns last season) and Markieff Morris (8.2 PPG last season). Their bench is even worse. Factor in that the Suns are playing in the brutal Western Conference and it's hard to see them winning a game in the West this season.

For more....http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... -shapes-up

[Sreister]

Wow. Hardly winning a game in the west? That's brutal. Not sure I agree with that. The best way to play with the type of roster we have is the way we plan on playing; be athletic, run, and be pesky on defense. We'll beat some teams we shouldn't, but lose the rest.

[Ryu]

Ah well. We will see a ton of those articles this season.

I am sure Ryan McDonough gets a last laugh. He who laughs last laughs best.

[gaspar]

"It's hard to see them winning a game in the West this season" - this is just a dumb thing to say. Last year we've won 9 games against WC play-off teams (exactly as many as Lakers, Rockets and Warriors). Sure, we are gonna be worse than last year, but not THAT much worse.

[JDLAW]

I place no credibility in Chad "insider" Ford. He is the worst example of a journalist, his inside information is a joke and expertise in the draft is beyond abysmal.

His history of unwarranted bias against the Suns is there for anyone to see and now that the Suns are on the "bottom" he is gleefully kicking them while they are down.

The Suns will deal with him when things turn around.

[thamadkant]

Well about the chances against West teams...

- Pelicans
- Kings

Have improved especially Pelicans, these 2 teams were Suns rival last season as the worst West teams.

Lakers have degraded talent wise...
BUT... A big BUT... Pau Gasol as center piece surrounded with shooters in a D'Antoni offense will be formidable against offensively challenged teams without elite defense.
That said... Bledsoe should do well against Nash and their PG rotation... But Gasol will get his against the Suns young and inexperienced front court..


I still think 76ers are worst team overall mainly because I can't see any of their players taking over... Suns still have Bledsoe and Dragic... Although McD can fix that by trading Dragic, if that's the direction he is leaning towards.

[gaspar]

Well, the Lakers starters are: Nash, Blake, Young, Williams and Gasol. How many of them would start on the Suns? Gasol and...?

[BurningHeart]

*sigh* when the supposed experts of the sport you're watching actively perpetuate this "tanking" bull, it's no surprise that you're left with a ridiculously unintelligent group of fans of the league.

Depressing.

[Jdiddy701]

You guys are too optimistic. It's clear we're the worst team in the league. Quit giving us too much credit.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[JDLAW]

Sorry to you posters for my upcoming angry rant, but I need to get his out - I'll keep it short.

The ESPN so called reporters like Chad Ford - who actually know next to nothing nothing and do nothing more than make up or propagate stupid comments and rumors and then pontificate rage are despicable human beings. For the last 5 years they cried, "Trade Stoudemire, trade Marion, trade Nash, Suns need to tear it down and rebuild through the draft", blah, blah... Now that the Suns have done followed their "advice", this hypocritical POS (Ford) cries foul, blasts them for the lack of mature NBA talent and infers they are dishonest tankers. He should have his press credentials seized never returned.

What GMs has this hypocritical POS spoken to? Those that look at the Gortat trade and are upset they were not able to cherry pick him in exchange for a bad contract? (OKC) Those who whose teams have sat on in the lottery for 10 straight years exercising lottery picks and are now only finally putting a quality team together? Those who have exercised the first pick 2-3 times recently (Cleveland, Washington) and who may still end up in the lottery? Or those who have had the 1st pick in the draft multiple times and have been unable to sustain a quality team (Orlando) over a long run? Screw them all if they are griping behind the scenes.

Where was Chad Ford when Cleveland put that monstrosity of a team on he court after LeBron left? - he was out there making excuses for them, "OMG they lost LeBron what else could they do?" Frankly, I am tired of the misfits and apologists at ESPN that call themselves sports media. These sycophants suck up to the Kobe's of the world and whatever executive is hot at the moment and everyone else is either stupid or incompetent. I have no use for any of them as they pass off their shallow analysis and ill-conceived rumors as informed opinion.

The Suns have been in this league 45 years and have never picked #1. In contrast, teams that have selected #1 Orlando - 3 times, Houston- 5 times, Portland - 3 times, Chicago - 3 times, Washington- 2 times, New Orleans- 2 times (once in charlotte), Cleveland - 5 times, LAC - 2 times, GS-2 times, LAL - 2 times, Mil- 3 times, SAS-2 times, Det-2 times, Atl 2-times just to name a few teams that have used the first pick multiple times since the Suns have been in the league. The Suns have put teams that has helped prop up a number of those franchises when they were in the gutter and could not draw flies for attendance. It deserves to take the approach its selected for rebuilding - through the draft and acquiring players that fit its long term vision without having to take the slings and arrows of hypocritical POS like Chad Ford. Next time he wants to criticize the Suns, he can kiss my fat a%%.

[phrazbit]

Where is Chad Ford ripping us? He isnt saying we have made bad moves, he isnt saying our front office has been foolish. The guy is calling a spade a spade. We're going to be an awful team. Period. His job is to make projections and the Suns are almost universally regarded as the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA in terms of talent.

[RunDogGun]

Where is Chad Ford ripping us? He isnt saying we have made bad moves, he isnt saying our front office has been foolish. The guy is calling a spade a spade. We're going to be an awful team. Period. His job is to make projections and the Suns are almost universally regarded as the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA in terms of talent.

He is completely implying that we have adapted a dishonest tactic. Our status should say rebuilding, not tanking. Trading Gortat wasn't a "tanktastic" move. It isn't even reporting or commentating anymore, it's reckless reporting that fosters stupidity.

[lilfishi22]

He is completely implying that we have adapted a dishonest tactic. Our status should say rebuilding, not tanking. Trading Gortat wasn't a "tanktastic" move. It isn't even reporting or commentating anymore, it's reckless reporting that fosters stupidity.

Absolutely

[phrazbit]

Where is Chad Ford ripping us? He isnt saying we have made bad moves, he isnt saying our front office has been foolish. The guy is calling a spade a spade. We're going to be an awful team. Period. His job is to make projections and the Suns are almost universally regarded as the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA in terms of talent.

He is completely implying that we have adapted a dishonest tactic. Our status should say rebuilding, not tanking. Trading Gortat wasn't a "tanktastic" move. It isn't even reporting or commentating anymore, it's reckless reporting that fosters stupidity.

Where is the line for you between "tanking" and "rebuilding" (with seemingly no interest in being competitive this year)? Because it this point IMO, its just semantics.

And what I mean is, how BAD does the product on the court have to become for you to think the front office is deliberately fielding a deep lotto team? I have no doubt the players will try, but once the players you're fielding are bad enough it does not matter how hard they try.

[wheezy]

Where is Chad Ford ripping us? He isnt saying we have made bad moves, he isnt saying our front office has been foolish. The guy is calling a spade a spade. We're going to be an awful team. Period. His job is to make projections and the Suns are almost universally regarded as the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA in terms of talent.

He is completely implying that we have adapted a dishonest tactic. Our status should say rebuilding, not tanking. Trading Gortat wasn't a "tanktastic" move. It isn't even reporting or commentating anymore, it's reckless reporting that fosters stupidity.

Doesn't sound like he's implying anything in the quote posted. It doesn't say we're the worst team in the league, just that we may have the worst record come April (which is still not likely). The guy gets paid to write about the nba draft, what does it matter what he thinks of the Suns or what his opninion is?

Philly seems to clearly have the worst roster, that quote just makes it sound like Ford thinks being in the East with the other bottom dwellers will help their win total.

[b-ball forever]

And tankers gonna tank.

This is the best Suns offseason ever since the one when we added on Raja, Diaw, and Kurt Thomas

[RunDogGun]

Where is Chad Ford ripping us? He isnt saying we have made bad moves, he isnt saying our front office has been foolish. The guy is calling a spade a spade. We're going to be an awful team. Period. His job is to make projections and the Suns are almost universally regarded as the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA in terms of talent.

He is completely implying that we have adapted a dishonest tactic. Our status should say rebuilding, not tanking. Trading Gortat wasn't a "tanktastic" move. It isn't even reporting or commentating anymore, it's reckless reporting that fosters stupidity.

Where is the line for you between "tanking" and "rebuilding" (with seemingly no interest in being competitive this year)? Because it this point IMO, its just semantics.

And what I mean is, how BAD does the product on the court have to become for you to think the front office is deliberately fielding a deep lotto team? I have no doubt the players will try, but once the players you're fielding are bad enough it does not matter how hard they try.

You have zero proof that we won't be competitive. Moreover, you have zero proof that McD and staff chose these players with the intent that we would not be competitive. Just more opinions, it has nothing to do with semantics. Tanking is purposely losing games, period, end of story. If one doesn't understand the meaning of the word, then one shouldn't use it.

Wheezy, did you not see our status? He wasn't even implying, he was saying flat out that we are purposely going to lose games.

[wheezy]

He is completely implying that we have adapted a dishonest tactic. Our status should say rebuilding, not tanking. Trading Gortat wasn't a "tanktastic" move. It isn't even reporting or commentating anymore, it's reckless reporting that fosters stupidity.

Where is the line for you between "tanking" and "rebuilding" (with seemingly no interest in being competitive this year)? Because it this point IMO, its just semantics.

And what I mean is, how BAD does the product on the court have to become for you to think the front office is deliberately fielding a deep lotto team? I have no doubt the players will try, but once the players you're fielding are bad enough it does not matter how hard they try.

You have zero proof that we won't be competitive. Moreover, you have zero proof that McD and staff chose these players with the intent that we would not be competitive. Just more opinions, it has nothing to do with semantics. Tanking is purposely losing games, period, end of story. If one doesn't understand the meaning of the word, then one shouldn't use it.

Wheezy, did you not see our status? He wasn't even implying, he was saying flat out that we are purposely going to lose games.

McD just traded our 2nd best player for a future pick and a guy that was by all accounts out for most of the season. Uh, hello... do you think that was to try to win more games?

[RunDogGun]

We haven't played one regular season game. You have no idea, who might step up. I still think too many people don't understand the meanings of words.

[wheezy]

We haven't played one regular season game. You have no idea, who might step up. I still think too many people don't understand the meanings of words.

And yet you and others are fussing over which pundit is saying we're "tanking" for 2014. You can not seriously tell me that trading Gortat for a guy to sit on the training table is going to help us this season. On top of that, waiver wire/fantasy fodder players with no prior history on bad teams almost always step up.
Oh and for the sake of semantics, Ford is writing a weekly/however often column updating the rankings. These are his preseason rankings, thus he's not taking into account GP. Them words are hard I tell ya.