Blazers are tanking for 4th year in a row

[wizenheimer]

You missed the point. I’m talking about ethics and good sportsmanship and right and wrong. .

LOL...you can't be serious

people are losing their jobs because of fucking stupid vindictive decisions by capricious politicians, struggling to put food on the table, and going broke paying medical bills; all while 20-something NBA players make 2-5M dollars a month....and it's the context of NBA games that gauge right and wrong?

 

[kjironman1]

The suns might out tank us with Booker and Durant. How does that even happen?

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

The suns might out tank us with Booker and Durant. How does that even happen?

Their defense sucks ass and ours is decent to good?

 

[Phatguysrule]

The suns might out tank us with Booker and Durant. How does that even happen?

Commitment

 

[Bingo Bango]

LOL...you can't be serious

people are losing their jobs because of fucking stupid vindictive decisions by capricious politicians, struggling to put food on the table, and going broke paying medical bills; all while 20-something NBA players make 2-5M dollars a month....and it's the context of NBA games that gauge right and wrong?

What a ridiculous argument. You think any injustice in the world means that the Blazers are excused from doing the ethical thing? By that standard, everybody in the world has an excuse to do anything they want.

 

[wizenheimer]

What a ridiculous argument. You think any injustice in the world means that the Blazers are excused from doing the ethical thing? By that standard, everybody in the world has an excuse to do anything they want.

wrong....I'm saying you calling an NBA 'process' that has been in place since the draft started unethical is ridiculous

 

[blazerkor]

Ninth isn't ideal but it's way better than 12th which was a real and terrible possibility before tonight. After tonight I think we're definitely dedicated to keeping this lotto spot and the Lakers have no reason to want to lose. I would think the Wolves would be the Lakers first option out of the three teams that they could face but landing the third spot in the West would allow the Lakers to avoid the Thunder until the WCF.

I'm pretty confident we'll end up with 35 wins.

 

[KingSpeed]

wrong....I'm saying you calling an NBA 'process' that has been in place since the draft started unethical is ridiculous

No he’s right. You can’t trash his argument because there are worse real world problems. That means you shouldn’t be able to post on this board at all. But as for the “process,” it is not supported by the league. They’ve flattened the odds, added a play-in, fined teams for resting players or even discussing a tank. It is the league’s position that there is a right and wrong. You’re supposed to try to win every game.

 

[KingSpeed]

Ninth isn't ideal but it's way better than 12th which was a real and terrible possibility before tonight. After tonight I think we're definitely dedicated to keeping this lotto spot and the Lakers have no reason to want to lose. I would think the Wolves would be the Lakers first option out of the three teams that they could face but landing the third spot in the West would allow the Lakers to avoid the Thunder until the WCF.

I'm pretty confident we'll end up with 35 wins.

The Lakers have already landed the third spot. They have no motivation to win on Sunday.

 

[blazerkor]

The Lakers have already landed the third spot. They have no motivation to win on Sunday.

They also have no motivation to lose and we do. Their bench is better than what we had out their tonight. I guess we'll see but again, we have a reason to tank this game and they just don't.

 

[HailBlazers]

They also have no motivation to lose and we do. Their bench is better than what we had out their tonight. I guess we'll see but again, we have a reason to tank this game and they just don't.

The Fakers have motivation to win due to their hoard of fans that are sure to be in attendance.

 

[sheed30]

wrong....I'm saying you calling an NBA 'process' that has been in place since the draft started unethical is ridiculous

you are clearly missing the point and your counter point is actually "ridiculous"

but then again not surprised, you're on of the few on here that thinks if they aren't thinking the same as you, they are wrong lol.

 

[kjironman1]

No he’s right. You can’t trash his argument because there are worse real world problems. That means you shouldn’t be able to post on this board at all. But as for the “process,” it is not supported by the league. They’ve flattened the odds, added a play-in, fined teams for resting players or even discussing a tank. It is the league’s position that there is a right and wrong. You’re supposed to try to win every game.

Good post.

 

[inconceivable]

I think we'd all be happy not to ever have to go through a tanking season again.

if we tanked wholeheartedly this year, it might be the last

 

[Phatguysrule]

No he’s right. You can’t trash his argument because there are worse real world problems. That means you shouldn’t be able to post on this board at all. But as for the “process,” it is not supported by the league. They’ve flattened the odds, added a play-in, fined teams for resting players or even discussing a tank. It is the league’s position that there is a right and wrong. You’re supposed to try to win every game.

They haven't done enough. All of the best teams (who aren't in destination cities) were built with many great drafts.

Being a bad team with a bad plan and getting lucky late isn't a great way to be a great team. Look at Milwaukee. Look at Denver. Yeah, they got one. They lucked out, found some more luck in the postseason, and got one.

Your overall talent is what matters. You do need a star. But if you put yourself in place to have multiple opportunities at drafting the best quality talent you're more likely to get a star.

So the best teams will always be destination cities or cities who tank for draft position correctly.

 

[wizenheimer]

you are clearly missing the point and your counter point is actually "ridiculous"

but then again not surprised, you're on of the few on here that thinks if they aren't thinking the same as you, they are wrong lol.

you're missing the point

I'm saying that team choices on who plays or doesn't play don't reach the level of unethical or ethical. NBA games are not that important. In fact, in the grand scheme of things they don't matter at all

here's a test:

* Houston has secured the 2nd seed. In the last 3 or 4 games they are resting and protecting starters from injury...is that unethical?
* OKC has secured the best record and #1 seed. They rested and protected their top-7 players in a road game last night. Unethical?
* the Lakers have secured the 3rd seed and have nothing to gain against Portland and will likely rest starters. Unethical?

Answer no to any of those questions? Teams have been doing this for decades in games where there is nothing to be gained by winning (Blazers have done it several times). They essentially tank the game, or a last few games. If you're ok with this than you've abandoned any ethical/unethical debate and are just arguing matters of degree rather than principle. You're conceding that it's not unethical to not try and win every game. If it's not unethical, then you don't get to cherry-pick when it is just to fit into your argument of the day

 

[Bingo Bango]

wrong....I'm saying you calling an NBA 'process' that has been in place since the draft started unethical is ridiculous

Go back and look at your own post, Einstein. You said nothing about “an NBA process that has been in place since the draft started.”

 

[Bingo Bango]

You’re supposed to try to win every game.

That’s right, but the NBA ignores its own rule all the time. Look at Portland’s long list of supposedly “injured” players last night. You don’t have to be a genius to see they were throwing the game, and yet the NBA league office did nothing about it.

 

[Ripcity4life77]

I am sorry I tried to stay out of this post cause the OP is just silly ...

This team never tanked at least when it counted to tank they were in it ( play in ) until like a week ago so there was NEVER any tanking this season even if some of us thought there should be -- I thought they should have started to tank even a little after the break but whatever since tanking did not work out ( No Wemby and not last year 1st pick ) so whatever maybe this will work out for the best.

This thread should be closed cause it's just fucking stupid -- I had my say now I am done -- LOL

 

[wizenheimer]

Go back and look at your own post, Einstein. You said nothing about “an NBA process that has been in place since the draft started.”

here's what you said:

You missed the point. I’m talking about ethics and good sportsmanship and right and wrong. You’re talking about winning a championship at all costs, regardless of whatever unethical behavior it takes.

in response I'm saying a couple of things: one is that the notion that the results of NBA games define ethics is theater of the absurd

the other thing I'm saying is you pretending your viewpoint is the ethical one, while those that disagree are unethical is absolute bullshit. You aren't the oracle of what is "right or wrong"

 

[Bingo Bango]

I'm saying a couple of things: one is that the notion that the results of NBA games define ethics is theater of the absurd

the other thing I'm saying is you pretending your viewpoint is the ethical one, while those that disagree are unethical is absolute bullshit. You aren't the oracle of what is "right or wrong"

When Mark Cuban admitted that the Mavericks were tanking games, he was fined $600,000 by the NBA. So you tell me—is tanking wrong, even by the NBA’s standards, or is it perfectly ethical, as you’re saying?

 

[Phatguysrule]

When Mark Cuban admitted that the Mavericks were tanking games, he was fined $600,000 by the NBA. So you tell me—is tanking wrong, even by the NBA’s standards, or is it perfectly ethical, as you’re saying?

Admitting you're tanking is frowned upon. It's bad press for the league.

 

[RR7]

They haven't done enough. All of the best teams (who aren't in destination cities) were built with many great drafts.

Being a bad team with a bad plan and getting lucky late isn't a great way to be a great team. Look at Milwaukee. Look at Denver. Yeah, they got one. They lucked out, found some more luck in the postseason, and got one.

Your overall talent is what matters. You do need a star. But if you put yourself in place to have multiple opportunities at drafting the best quality talent you're more likely to get a star.

So the best teams will always be destination cities or cities who tank for draft position correctly.

Being a team that gets lucky almost always seems to be the way non-destination teams win, though.
Like you said, Milwaukee, Denver. They got lucky. Each got a title. Toronto got lucky with their Kawhi trade.
Otherwise you have GS, LA, Miami, Boston, and Cleveland being the outlier that lucked in to a top 2 player of all time. What small market teams "tanked properly" like you keep on repeating? Even S.A., the only other small market team really in the past 20 years got a ton of luck because David Robinson got hurt, as well as Sean Elliot. They didn't intentionaly tank. Robinson missed the beginning of the season, first 18 games or so. Why didn't they do the right thing and tank and keep him out? They brought him back, he broke his foot, and they got super lucky it was in the Duncan draft year .
Washington had 1, 6, 3, and 3 tanking properly and they're still irrelevant 15 years later.
We tanked properly for Roy, Aldridge, Oden. No title. No luck either.
It seems like you have repeated all year that THIS IS THE WAY. But where are the examples where it worked for these small market teams?

 

[Phatguysrule]

Being a team that gets lucky almost always seems to be the way non-destination teams win, though.
Like you said, Milwaukee, Denver. They got lucky. Each got a title. Toronto got lucky with their Kawhi trade.
Otherwise you have GS, LA, Miami, Boston, and Cleveland being the outlier that lucked in to a top 2 player of all time. What small market teams "tanked properly" like you keep on repeating? Even S.A., the only other small market team really in the past 20 years got a ton of luck because David Robinson got hurt, as well as Sean Elliot. They didn't intentionaly tank. Robinson missed the beginning of the season, first 18 games or so. Why didn't they do the right thing and tank and keep him out? They brought him back, he broke his foot, and they got super lucky it was in the Duncan draft year .
Washington had 1, 6, 3, and 3 tanking properly and they're still irrelevant 15 years later.
We tanked properly for Roy, Aldridge, Oden. No title. No luck either.
It seems like you have repeated all year that THIS IS THE WAY. But where are the examples where it worked for these small market teams?

Everyone knew San Antonio was tanking. Every discussion about it at the time was a chuckle and a wink. "Yeah we know what's going on there..."

Toronto didn't get lucky with the Kawhi trade. They had assets to trade for him. They made their own luck by having enough assets to make that trade and compete after making the trade. A lot of those assets were obtained in the draft.

Boston definitely built most of their talent base through the draft. They had assets from tanking which allowed them to land the big trades they did when they got Garnet. I discussed that in an earlier post. Multiple years of high draft picks. Multiple years of multiple first round draft picks.

Oklahoma City is absolutely loaded. Through the draft.

There are no guarantees. But if you control what you can control you can build enough assets to take advantage of situations when they arise.

Even if you do that as a non-destination team you still have to overcome a lot of bad luck that tends to happen to non-destination teams in the NBA.

So yes, I've said this many times all season. I've also backed it up many times all season.

 

[RR7]

Robinson broke his foot. If he didn't, and Elliot wasn't hurt, then they're not getting Duncan. Yes they threw in the towel. When their star broke his foot. They didn't start the season looking to tank. And if they did, like I said, they would have sat Robinson with his back injury instead of bringing him back in December. So yes, it's the most famous. But no broken foot, no Duncan. Unless you think they lied about the foot?

Toronto traded Derozan, Poetl and a top 20 protected pick. They didn't tank for Poetl. They didn't tank for Derozan. They got lucky that Kawhi and SA had a huge falling out and they got a young star so cheap. Who else did they deliberately tank for? The right way? They drafted Siakim 27th. They gave up a 1st for Lowry.

Boston traded Ryan Gomes(2nd rounder), Gerald Green(18th overall), Al Jefferson(15th overall) and 2 1sts for Garnett. Sorry, and Sebastian Telfair. The lone lottery pick.
They didn't tank to get any of those assets. They got lucky that friend of the show Kevin McHale was running things in Minnesota.

I've yet to see the teams that have done a prolonged tank like you've advocated succeeding from it. And these aint it.

 

[sheed30]

Robinson broke his foot. If he didn't, and Elliot wasn't hurt, then they're not getting Duncan. Yes they threw in the towel. When their star broke his foot. They didn't start the season looking to tank. And if they did, like I said, they would have sat Robinson with his back injury instead of bringing him back in December. So yes, it's the most famous. But no broken foot, no Duncan. Unless you think they lied about the foot?

Toronto traded Derozan, Poetl and a top 20 protected pick. They didn't tank for Poetl. They didn't tank for Derozan. They got lucky that Kawhi and SA had a huge falling out and they got a young star so cheap. Who else did they deliberately tank for? The right way? They drafted Siakim 27th. They gave up a 1st for Lowry.

Boston traded Ryan Gomes(2nd rounder), Gerald Green(18th overall), Al Jefferson(15th overall) and 2 1sts for Garnett. Sorry, and Sebastian Telfair. The lone lottery pick.
They didn't tank to get any of those assets. They got lucky that friend of the show Kevin McHale was running things in Minnesota.

I've yet to see the teams that have done a prolonged tank like you've advocated succeeding from it. And these aint it.

And I’ll add, since I saw OKC was mentioned as loaded, they wouldn’t be the team they are today if it wasn’t for SGA, and they got him via a trade from the Clippers for Paul George.

Take SGA away from OKC, and they wouldn’t have close the record they have right now.