Shak_Celts wrote:Hal14 wrote:Fierce1 wrote:I was expecting Al or Luke to return, but if our best Center right now is Queta and our starting PF will be Niang or Hauser, it's going to be a disaster.
The Cs will get abused inside the paint so badly.
Good, then we'll get a better draft pick.
We're not trying to win this season.
This season is simply about savings $, getting under the 2nd apron to avoid the basketball penalties, developing our young guys, load managing our vets and start figuring out what the roster will look like when we're back in title contention in 26-27 with a healthy Tatum.
Why do people keep saying this? We may not be putting everything in the pot like we did for the jrue and kp window, but they aren’t trying to lose either. Too many good players here to lose enough for the lotto. Sure, it’s all opinion at this point, but we’re too good to be in the lotto.
Winning and winning it all are two different things in a way. Cavs are the example.
The Cavs were absolutely trying to win it all last season. They came up short. But they had one of the greatest regular seasons of all time. They added Hunter at the deadline. Every offseason for the past few years they have added guys (including Donovan Mitchell) with 1 goal in mind behind every move: building a championship team.
This is our offseason in a nuthsell:
The goal with these moves was to cut costs and dip under the 2nd apron. Brad even admitted in yesterday's presser that the 2nd apron is why he traded Jrue and KP.
Not to mention Tatum is out for the year.
I'm not saying that we're tanking. But I also wouldn't be surprised if we end up doing that - depending on how the team is doing early in the season. The Mavs last year, after Kyrie tore his ACL - they tanked and ended up getting the no. 1 pick in the draft - Cooper Flagg.
Embiid was hurt for Philly. Missed most of the season. What did they do? Tanked, got the 3rd pick in the draft. Wemby got hurt, season ending injury. What did the spurs do? Tanked and got the 2nd pick in the draft. Warriors when Klay and Steph were injured? They tanked and got the 2nd pick in the draft (bad pick with Wiseman) and then got 2 lottery picks (2 more bad picks with Kuminga and Moody).
Luka was injured late in the 22-23. season. Mavs sat him out a lot and. even got fined for tanking - it worked out though, as they ended up with the 12th pick, took Lively who ended up being a key big for them when they made the finals the next season. Now they have their C for the future.
Kawhi missed entire 21-22 season. But the clippers had already traded away their 1st round pick in the 2022 draft. So therefore it didn't make sense for them to tank since they didn't own their FRP. But they still ended up losing in the play in tournament, with their best player out for the year. Their pick went to OKC, who took Jalen Williams with the 12th pick. Jdub turned out to be a star and help lead OKC to the 2025 title. So obviously, if Clippers had their pick in that draft it would've made more sense to tank (with Kawhi out for the year)..they would've tanked and ended up with an even higher pick than 12th..
Not saying we're tanking. But if that ends up happening, it shouldn't shock anyone.