Game 67: Utah Jazz (15-51) vs. Toronto Raptors (23-43)

[Inigo Montoya]

The Jazz will have to be creative with this one since the league fined them for sitting out Markkanen. Suddenly the injury list is a lot shorter on the Jazz's end, while the Raptors' injury list is quite long. Interesting how that works.

Anyway, the Wizards won last night and so the Jazz are only one game away from the worst record in the league--certainly within reach. The Jazz need to play the Wizards one more time at home and if they manage to lose that one they'll also have the tie-breaker in case both teams end up with the same record. I say screw the league, the tank must roll on.

[AGE1207]

Trap game obviously - Jazz win easily

[Daddy 801]

Excellent win with the loss. So close to having the worst record. Sweet.

[Inigo Montoya]

Take that, NBA. Serves you right. Proud of the Jazz. And the Hornets won, which makes it even sweeter.

[HadAnEffectHere]

No one in this draft is a likely difference maker after #2 so this tank feels incredibly gross and pointless.

VJ is the clear #3 and he has a max likely ceiling of Jalen Suggs, who is fine, but is not a guy who really matters. That's a guy who should be the 5th best player on a good team.

"We have to give a middle finger to the sport so we have a floor of drafting Tre Johnson instead of Fears" man, this does not matter even slightly, both guys are just fine.

[Inigo Montoya]

No one in this draft is a likely difference maker after #2 so this tank feels incredibly gross and pointless.

VJ is the clear #3 and he has a max likely ceiling of Jalen Suggs, who is fine, but is not a guy who really matters. That's a guy who should be the 5th best player on a good team.

"We have to give a middle finger to the sport so we have a floor of drafting Tre Johnson instead of Fears" man, this does not matter even slightly, both guys are just fine.

I think it matters a lot. It's much easier to trade up if you're at #3 than if you're at #6. Imagine the Jazz end up with the #3 pick and the Hornets with #2. Flagg is gone, are they going to select Harper when they have Ball? Or would they be open to trade down and select Bailey or VJ (who is a very good fit next to Ball)? If so, it'd be much easier and less costly to trade up from the #3 spot. You always want to have as high a pick as possible.

[HadAnEffectHere]

No one in this draft is a likely difference maker after #2 so this tank feels incredibly gross and pointless.

VJ is the clear #3 and he has a max likely ceiling of Jalen Suggs, who is fine, but is not a guy who really matters. That's a guy who should be the 5th best player on a good team.

"We have to give a middle finger to the sport so we have a floor of drafting Tre Johnson instead of Fears" man, this does not matter even slightly, both guys are just fine.

I think it matters a lot. It's much easier to trade up if you're at #3 than if you're at #6. Imagine the Jazz end up with the #3 pick and the Hornets with #2. Flagg is gone, are they going to select Harper when they have Ball? Or would they be open to trade down and select Bailey or VJ (who is a very good fit next to Ball)? If so, it'd be much easier and less costly to trade up from the #3 spot. You always want to have as high a pick as possible.

Bruh, are you kidding me.

We've been tanking for three years and you don't know that the odds of getting any slot 1-4 is irrelevant between if you have the worst and third worst record.

The advantage of having the worst record is that you have an absolute floor of 5, compared to having some chance of landing at the 6 or 7 pick you finish with the 2nd or 3rd worst record.

And no one ever trades down from 2 to 5 in a two player draft.