Game 48: Los Angeles Lakers (16-31) @ Dallas Mavericks (14-29) - 3:30 PM ET

[ducler]

[Kupchak9]

We gotta lose this one.

[cashflo]

We gotta lose this one.

Are we officially tanking?... tankathon has is at bottom 5 right now.. but I think we are also 4gms from playoffs!

[Dr Aki]

miami and phoenix just won, we just gonna throw away those hard-earned gains?

[Kupchak9]

Seriosuly, we're getting gifted by the basketball gods with these freakish wins from Miami and Phoenix. We have to capitalize.

[larry14r]

By tomorrow night we're going to have the third worse record in league if Phoenix can still a game in Toronto.

[danfantastk32]

We are only 1 loss behind the 8th-seed Nuggets (we have like 5 more losses) ...but it looks like the Nuggets are about to beat the Clippers. So they will be up 2.

Feels really weird to tank when your 2 games out. But I gotta say....this team still needs more help/talent. We should be miles from the playoff race. This team ain't beating the Warriors in a series EVER. You could sit Klay and Steph...and we'd still get boat-raced. Yeah...our guys will improve....but we're not on the same planet. A few PG's (ones at UCLA) look REALLY REALLY good.

[tugs]

Every team's goal is to get better and aim for wins, regardless if they'll make it to the finals or get pummeled in the first round of the playoffs. No tanking for me.

Side note: Is it really a lost season that no one's bothering to makr GTs anymore?

[Crooked-I]

Mavs have had our number this year. We've looked horrible against them this season and i'm sure this game is going to be no different.

[danfantastk32]

Every team's goal is to get better and aim for wins, regardless if they'll make it to the finals or get pummeled in the first round of the playoffs. No tanking for me.

I have to disagree. While I think a few teams have other goals (Take the Clippers of 15 years ago)...most teams want to win a title. Going from 17 wins to a title is not a 1-year proposition...and I would argue that this squad is not good enough, even 2-3-4 years down the line. Tanking is a tool, set up by the league. It just is. It completely rewards teams with a top pick. We also don't have the luxury of saying "damn....6th pick. The 3rd pick woulda been better". Nope. It's top-3 or nothing for us.

You mention teams wanting to get better....well what makes us better? A top 3 pick (either as a player or a GREAT trade chip) sure seems like it would help the cause. And again.....it's not a top-3 pick vs the #7 pick....it's top-3 or NOTHING.

If you don't wanna tank, that's your prerogative. That's how you feel, and that's cool. But I will argue the "logic" behind it. The league is set up to reward teams that tank. Especially ones with a top-3 protected pick.

If this owner wants to make some moves that help bolster this teams chances of a playoff run....then I am for that. Now I agree that we have "value" we can attach to our wins (Playoff experience...the ability to call ourselves a "playoff team" to future FA's, etc). But if we're just gonna sit pat, then I think our chances of a playoff berth are much less tham our chances at a pick, if we subtly tank.

Sorry.....but I see zero value in getting 28 wins, vs getting 21 wins for this team. All that does is badly damage the team's real long-term goal...which is another title.

[MrWaffles]

This game is a must L.

[SashaTheMachine]

We are gathered here today to see the Lakers lose.

[Slava]

I get to watch the Lakers live so little that I'm watching this instead of Green bay vs Atlanta.

[Slava]

Ingram at PG again.

[BEazy]

I had to turn away from this Green Bay game and watch this. I see we gave up close to 30 points against the Mavs. Wonderful...

[Slava]

Seth curry tearing us a new one again.

[Crooked-I]

Man the rook gets no calls.

[MrWaffles]

Tank fam, it's looking good!

[Slava]

Tank fam, it's looking good!

Stop posting. This is not the thread for that.

[Crooked-I]

Moz can't score on a scarecrow in the post. Get Zubac in there and get him some post touches.