Tank World Order V (Rise of the Phoenix)

[OakleyDokely]

I'm suggesting a new name for this thread -- 'The Tankening"

[Tripod]

Uh, how exactly do the Spurs winning help us even a little bit? The Jazz are direct competition for us and the worst record.

Keeps the Spurs from entering the tank teams like they have the last 2 years?

Most expect Utah to be there regardless...random win here and there or not. But limiting another team from joing the tanking group is a good thing.

I assume this was his thought process

The Spurs are above .500 in the west, we are....quite far from that and in the east lol. Wemby is too good for the spurs to be bottom of the league.

The Jazz are an actual concern, especially with Lauri going down last night.

I have long come to grips that the Wizards and Jazz will be worse than the Raps regardless what we do.

[MiamiSPX]

Jazz are not going to pass up this chance to draft a white star. Hoping for first overall is setting yourself up for disappointment.

[tdotrep2]

Jazz are not going to pass up this chance to draft a white star. Hoping for first overall is setting yourself up for disappointment.

Watch on YouTube

[ItsDanger]

Markkanen having so many injuries early on means they will be near the bottom almost guaranteed. Ainge wants a high pick.

[djsunyc]

last year's 9 worst records:

14-68
15-67
21-61
21-61
22-60
25-57
27-55
31-51
32-50

currently we are 4-14. if we go .500 over the remaining 64 games, our record will be 36-46. how likely is that?

[MiamiSPX]

currently we are 4-14. if we go .500 over the remaining 64 games, our record will be 36-46. how likely is that?

Not at all likely. We weren't even predicted to be .500 when fully healthy. We once again have 4 of our top 8 players out and nobody can give an exact return date for any of them. Based on a recent Tweet from Grange, sounds like mid-December for IQ at best. Pretty sure we don't sniff 30 wins.

[OakleyDokely]

currently we are 4-14. if we go .500 over the remaining 64 games, our record will be 36-46. how likely is that?

Not at all likely. We weren't even predicted to be .500 when fully healthy. We once again have 4 of our top 8 players out and nobody can give an exact return date for any of them. Based on a recent Tweet from Grange, sounds like mid-December for IQ at best. Pretty sure we don't sniff 30 wins.

And once we get passed the trade deadline, they will rotate the big guys in and out of the lineup and rest anyone with a hang nail.

This season is basically over given all the injuries. We're almost at the 1/4 point already.

[ItsDanger]

Team compete's progression through this season as play in hopes diminish with each loss.

The objective remains the same, secure a top 5 pick.

[metafisical]

What I don't get is pro-tankers complaining in the game threads about the team playing badly or why a certain player is having a bad game. I mean, don't we want the team to be playing badly and sucking?

The only people who should be complaining are those that want the Raps to compete. Everyone else should be cheering for every Raps turnover, missed dunk, out of bounds play, shot click violation, etc...

[MiamiSPX]

currently we are 4-14. if we go .500 over the remaining 64 games, our record will be 36-46. how likely is that?

Not at all likely. We weren't even predicted to be .500 when fully healthy. We once again have 4 of our top 8 players out and nobody can give an exact return date for any of them. Based on a recent Tweet from Grange, sounds like mid-December for IQ at best. Pretty sure we don't sniff 30 wins.

And once we get passed the trade deadline, they will rotate the big guys in and out of the lineup and rest anyone with a hang nail.

This season is basically over given all the injuries. We're almost at the 1/4 point already.

I agree with you that the season is toast. Too many injuries, and in too much of a hole already.

[Scase]

Keeps the Spurs from entering the tank teams like they have the last 2 years?

Most expect Utah to be there regardless...random win here and there or not. But limiting another team from joing the tanking group is a good thing.

I assume this was his thought process

The Spurs are above .500 in the west, we are....quite far from that and in the east lol. Wemby is too good for the spurs to be bottom of the league.

The Jazz are an actual concern, especially with Lauri going down last night.

I have long come to grips that the Wizards and Jazz will be worse than the Raps regardless what we do.

Wiz for sure, but Jazz with a healthy Lauri is a roll of the dice. They managed 31 wins last year and they are largely the same team, Lauri going down sucks for us. Either way, I think with the way things are going we are bottom 3, the question is 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.

[Scase]

What I don't get is pro-tankers complaining in the game threads about the team playing badly or why a certain player is having a bad game. I mean, don't we want the team to be playing badly and sucking?

The only people who should be complaining are those that want the Raps to compete. Everyone else should be cheering for every Raps turnover, missed dunk, out of bounds play, shot click violation, etc...

It's not so much complaining, but rather frustration. The hopes is that we don't have to dwell in the bottom of the league for multiple years but rather just a couple. And if you see players like RJ having some of the worst shooting in the league, it sucks cause it's not just this year that it impacts, but the future of the team.

I think the pistons game was the perfect tank game, Scottie balls tf out and shows his talent level, and we lose a close game. I always hope Scottie and GD have great games and it sucks to see them struggle even if it means a win. But I don't lose sleep over RJ or Shead bricking a 3, it's just annoying to see.

It's also a bit tough to watch a game and get yourself caught up in it and actively cheer for guys to suck lol, overall I don't see many people complaining in the GTs because it resulted in a loss, but rather watching players play poorly. They don't have to play great, but it would be great to see guys manage over 35% from the field

[DelAbbot]

The truth of the matter is that a top 5 pick this summer has an approx 25% chance to be AS good as RJ is currently six years from now.

But don't let me interrupt the pink-clouding that accompanies all the tank talking points. I see only the best case scenarios when I look at a mystery box.

I think we kinda can't lose either way. A top 5 pick is a nice chance to hit a home run or a triple. A hot streak that leads to a play-in Game indicates development of the multiple prospects we already have. I figure it's kinda impossible to predict which one of those outcomes is preferable.

If you think the pick is preferable you tend to be denying the reality of expected outcomes for top 5 picks and pessimistic that 22 to 25 year olds can make massive, unexpected leaps in short periods of time.

The inverse is true for those that prefer the hot streak/play-in route. Ie: once in awhile a top 5 pick changes the trajectory of a franchise and it's not often that a 22 to 25 year old prospect makes an unexpected massive leap.

One thing I'd say: the Pelicans as a franchise would've been better off if they did NOT have the first overall pick when they selected Zion. He's basically stolen 6 years from that franchise to have any opportunity to compete. And then AD before him lol. Pelican fans been banking on the dream of 1st overall pick hype for more than a decade with NOTHING to show for it.

Counter: this draft is considered especially deep at the top so having a top 5 pick has greater value than in other years. We also tend to be one of the better drafting organizations which gives us an edge when it comes to actually making the right choice. This is not an average year for draft talent and we are generally not the incompetent type of team that finds themselves at the top of the draft (ie. teams that keep finding themselves at the top of the draft because they suck at drafting). I would also wager that the value of a top 5 pick is far greater than the experience of a play-in loss.

The experience of a play-in

Watch on YouTube

[sidsid]

Honestly I don’t feel great until one of Philly or New Orleans starts winning. But yeah, more injuries to us is going to keep it rolling and I hate to hope for that but it does seem like we’re neck in neck with the Bulls/Pistons /Hawks of the NBA if we are healthy.

New Orleans is a real worry. They are injury plagued like us and a non desirable market. They could easily jettison talent and tank hard.

I also did realise Philly's pick was protected 1-6 next year so maybe they could commit to the tank also but 'feels' harder for them to do so.

I think it would be an insane decision for them to try and tank this year, even if its 1-6 protected thats a big risk (use us as a great example lol), and the money they just spent on PG13 coupled with his age. Either they go all in to win, or completely blow it up.

The injury news for Embiid would have to be "out for the season" for them to actually contemplate it. But this is very much an East vs. West convo. You could absolutely plan to pivot early if they were named the Pels instead of Sixers.

Regardless of what happens this year, offseason trade speculation around Embiid will be real just for the injury/fitness concerns alone. He's very much in the Shaq zone for that.

[DelAbbot]

I'm suggesting a new name for this thread -- 'The Tankening"

What's the punchline?

[DelAbbot]

Team compete's progression through this season as play in hopes diminish with each loss.

The objective remains the same, secure a top 5 pick.

You better copy and stitch that graph together about 20 more times, as after each win they go back to Denial

[DelAbbot]

What I don't get is pro-tankers complaining in the game threads about the team playing badly or why a certain player is having a bad game. I mean, don't we want the team to be playing badly and sucking?

The only people who should be complaining are those that want the Raps to compete. Everyone else should be cheering for every Raps turnover, missed dunk, out of bounds play, shot click violation, etc...

I wonder if we get a big bang if we combine metafisical and Potential

[Scase]

New Orleans is a real worry. They are injury plagued like us and a non desirable market. They could easily jettison talent and tank hard.

I also did realise Philly's pick was protected 1-6 next year so maybe they could commit to the tank also but 'feels' harder for them to do so.

I think it would be an insane decision for them to try and tank this year, even if its 1-6 protected thats a big risk (use us as a great example lol), and the money they just spent on PG13 coupled with his age. Either they go all in to win, or completely blow it up.

The injury news for Embiid would have to be "out for the season" for them to actually contemplate it. But this is very much an East vs. West convo. You could absolutely plan to pivot early if they were named the Pels instead of Sixers.

Regardless of what happens this year, offseason trade speculation around Embiid will be real just for the injury/fitness concerns alone. He's very much in the Shaq zone for that.

Yeah I mean with Embiid being (relatively) healthy it would be nuts, but if he had a season ending injury, you absolutely punt the season. Right now, it just seems like they suck due to him and george being only available for 12 total games.

If they get healthier, they push for the playoffs/in, they are too good to tank otherwise. And realistically they would need to be 1st/2nd/3rd worst in the NBA for the tank to be worth the risk. If they punted the season and gave up the pick like we did, that would be gross negligence. That's why I think they need to go all in to win, or trade Embiid/PG and blow it up for real. I don't think they can be "Spurs without Robinson" bad unless both PG and Embiid are out the whole season.

[WhatsaTDot]

Cam Thomas is out for the Nets for a couple of weeks. Good thing they accumulated some early meaningless wins cause they’re not looking good in this upcoming period.