I'm about 85% sure we need to start tanking right now to stay in contention for a top 5 pick. A playoff birth has been fun and fanciful but let's get back to business. Dallas, Phoenix, and San Antonio are sinking around us. OKC tonight, should be an easy L. Ayton, Grant, Williams, look to be down for the count (hopefully). Don't want to disrupt the growth of Scoot, Shae, Toumani, Deni, and Clingon. Maybe just lose Ant to "injury," would that be enough? Either way the stars need to start misaligning right quick or we are destined for mediocrity.
We don't have to start tanking right now, we're going to lose our next 4 games, that'll be 5 straight and 6 out the last 7. At that point it will be interesting to see if the team wants to move up a couple spots and sits out Tou and/or Deni against Toronto and Washington. Our schedule for the rest of the season is brutal and we have yet to show that we can beat any team that is any good. So I think we could see some tankingish stuff but it will be the difference between 11th slot in the lotto and 8th at the very best.
The issue is DAL is on a hard tank. PHX i dunno. Now better teams will rest starters to preserve health and /or secure most favorable playoff matchups. I fully expect OKC play SGA as little as possible. He could win an mvp so they can’t shut him down. He needs numbers. What would DAL need to give POR Lively?
Nah FAMS! That little win streak last month is gonna have an affect/effect on this team many on here won’t like.
Not so fast my friend. The Thunder are sitting SGA & Jalen Williams tonight and Chet is listed as a game time decision. refueling the Blazer tank this season would need something along the lines of Billups sidelining Deni for the rest of the year siting the quad contusion issue he's been dealing with and giving all those minutes to the HCP STOMP
I now fully expect the Blazers to re-sign Ant, extend him or whatever. I doubt they try to move off of Grant. Would not be surprised if they re-sign Ayton too. Williams and Thybule will probably just walk after next season unless they get extended too. Portland is not a free agent destination. They are unwilling to make the hard decision to tank for the good of the franchise. I expect Scoot/Shae to ask the fuck out because this coach, GM and ownership have Fools Gold Fever.
Because they're rooting to lose. I refuse to do that. I believe instilling a culture of trying to win far outweighs a slight improvement in the chances of landing a higher pick.
Nah FAMS! That little win streak last month is gonna have an affect/effect on the growth of our young guys that many on here will like.
I don't think our young guys have been helped at all this season. I think they're further behind than they would be otherwise because we haven't gotten the obvious veterans out of their way. So, IMO, we've hampered the development of our young players, we've also given ourselves a worse opportunity at adding more talent. And we have no shot at winning a playoff series.
If you want to see this team make the playoffs, you aren't looking at the big picture. Like me, who has done it the right way the entire time.