TANK WORLD ORDER (XII) BACK WITH A VENGEANCE

[dhackett1565]

People getting so upset about the team winning games - this is a good team. If they were healthy all year they'd be nowhere near the lotto. Anytime we have a decent number of bodies on the floor we will win games. That's a great thing for next year. Not an easy thing to navigate for this year's pick.

I do think Boucher is killing the tank a bit. Core guys playing well is good and until one gets hurt they won't be sitting them - that's not the culture they want to establish here. Even the Tampa tank year was guys who were playing through injuries to that point finally being sat down the stretch. This year they've done the opposite, sat guys for quite a long stretch anytime they have an excuse. But they do need that excuse for it to sit well with their guys.

I'm curious whether they end up talking to Boucher about a buyout as they approach March and the impending cupcake schedule. Let him go chase a ring somewhere, then can always bring him back on a minimum in the summer if both sides are interested. Because right now even running a C rotation of a rookie and a G-leaguer is not cutting it when Boucher is able to step in, and when Jak is back it'll get even more grim for the tank until another injury happens where they can be super cautious holding a guy out for a long stretch.

[Badonkadonk]

now i feel like a greedy basterd, we are actually really really lucky to be where we at in standings right now...a lot of close loses and timely injuries

we are just as good as any of the non top 10 teams in the nba and we gonna get a nice pick even in the top 7

This. No shortage of people were hopeful that this was a 30-team win at most that would lose in the play-in before the season.

The guys who hate-watch won't acknowledge that the team committed to being the worst version of itself while milking whatever injuries did happen for the first half.

The team also didn't pull a Pistons and sign guys like Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway to try and maximize wins THIS season, despite Cade and Scottie being in pretty much at the same point in their careers (those guys played ~100 mins last night in their win btw).

In fact, there's a pretty clear line you can draw from the decision to draft/sign 5 rookies and feed them steady minutes (again only the Wiz have had more rookie mins) THIS season. You think it was a coincidence? Not only did they hit on these guys and they all seem like functional pieces, but they've put them on the court with the big club. I thought they'd see WAY more 905 time (like the Fred/Pascal era), it's easy to find pluggable vets like Schroder, took me a minute to realize what they were doing.

Just a well executed plan to navigate what might've been a 30 win team to a solid lotto pick.

[RapsFanInVA]

now i feel like a greedy basterd, we are actually really really lucky to be where we at in standings right now...a lot of close loses and timely injuries

we are just as good as any of the non top 10 teams in the nba and we gonna get a nice pick even in the top 7

This. No shortage of people were hopeful that this was a 30-team win at most that would lose in the play-in before the season.

The guys who hate-watch won't acknowledge that the team committed to being the worst version of itself while milking whatever injuries did happen for the first half.

The team also didn't pull a Pistons and sign guys like Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway to try and maximize wins THIS season, despite Cade and Scottie being in pretty much at the same point in their careers (those guys played ~100 mins last night in their win btw).

In fact, there's a pretty clear line you can draw from the decision to draft/sign 5 rookies and feed them steady minutes (again only the Wiz have had more rookie mins) THIS season. You think it was a coincidence? Not only did they hit on these guys and they all seem like functional pieces, but they've put them on the court with the big club. I thought they'd see WAY more 905 time (like the Fred/Pascal era), it's easy to find pluggable vets like Schroder, took me a minute to realize what they were doing.

Just a well executed plan to navigate what might've been a 30 win team to a solid lotto pick.

The plan isn't over yet. This team may very well win 30 games with our soft schedule, especially if Yak is back soon and everyone stays healthy. We can easily mess this up and surpass Philly and Brooklyn and probably Chicago.

12 wins away from 30 and two games each against Chicago, Philly, Brooklyn, which should be 5-1. Throw in Jazz x 2 and Wiz x 3 and Hornets x 2 (easily 5-2) and our "solid lotto pick" is hovering around 8-10 instead of top 5.

[Scase]

Read on Twitter

"Yes we won, no one cares anymore"

Tell that to the Masai stans saying he should be 20 years of slack because of that I hope you boys like the 9th pick.

[NotMyKawhi]

This poll is dumb. VJ better than all those guys

[TorontoBarneys]

Hahahahaha, TWO is done.

Stop saying this FO is tanking if they are playing 3+ main starters 35min+ a game. They are half azzing this.

We are headed to the playin, and Masai can hype up this team for next season.

Much to our dismay, I dont think FO/coaching staff were ever going to tank. Thats not the Raptors way. They will be gunning for the play in come hell or high water. You know..."internal growth" and what not.

Aren’t we starting a G-Leaguer and playing a sophomore and 4 rookies? lol.

Not to mention they are sitting out Poeltl and BI.

At the beginning of the year I kept hearing that’s all we needed to do is sit out Yak because without him our team is awful.

"They're sitting out the guy with the ankle injury! What more do you tankers want?!"

Man you guys just don't miss. Another banger.