NBA has become a joke

[Bingo Bango]

The Blazers are sitting their starters for the rest of the season in order to get a better pick in the draft. Second year in a row. That’s how low this franchise has sunk. That’s how pathetic things have gotten. Jack Ramsay and Harry Glickman are rolling over in their graves. If you purchased tickets for your family so you could see one of the final games of the season, sorry about that. The Blazers are going to make sure they lose by putting one of the shittiest lineups you’ve ever seen on the floor. And all for what? So they can move up three spots in the draft?? So they have a slightly better chance of getting the best player? This is insanity and desperation all in one—and it’s degrading to the city and the long-suffering fans. This is not what sports is about. No high school coach ever tells his players to intentionally lose a game, because it violates the ethics of sportsmanship and fair play, and because it’s no way to go through life. But the NBA commissioner is going to look the other way, because the NBA is a joke itself.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

We get to watch the plyer they got from tanking last year. That makes it so much better. Might even be Summer league champions again?

 

[Hoopguru]

The Blazers are sitting their starters for the rest of the season in order to get a better pick in the draft. Second year in a row. That’s how low this franchise has sunk. That’s how pathetic things have gotten. Jack Ramsay and Harry Glickman are rolling over in their graves. If you purchased tickets for your family so you could see one of the final games of the season, sorry about that. The Blazers are going to make sure they lose by putting one of the shittiest lineups you’ve ever seen on the floor. And all for what? So they can move up three spots in the draft?? So they have a slightly better chance of getting the best player? This is insanity and desperation all in one—and it’s degrading to the city and the long-suffering fans. This is not what sports is about. No high school coach ever tells his players to intentionally lose a game, because it violates the ethics of sportsmanship and fair play, and because it’s no way to go through life. But the NBA commissioner is going to look the other way, because the NBA is a joke itself.

My granddaughter was at the last game, her team was recognized as Oregon State Champions for 4th and 5th graders, which was very cool. She got a ball signed by Dame.
Its weird to tell young kids, well, they are purposely losing games so they can maybe be great in the future.

 

[blazerkor]

I'm sorry but if people don't understand that professional sports franchises cannot take things one year at a time let alone one game at a time, then wake up! When you play at any level of sports where there are no contracts then you can play for every win possible because you have uncontrollable constant churn. Once you get contracts and draft assets involved it's juvenile to think that teams need to throw everything they have at every game that they play. Load management, making sure players take care of injuries and not playing your most important players at the end of the season once you've clinched a spot in the playoffs to insure those players' availability are all ways in which teams use strategy to try and win more in the long run while sacrificing wins here and there.

That being said resting players once you know you don't have a chance to compete in the playoffs (not mathematically eliminated just common sense) so they have less wear and tear and so you get a better draft pick to trade or have a better chance to get the player you want, while simultaneously getting young players experience and evaluating players on your roster that you aren't sure about going forward with is by far the most multifaceted competitive reason to sit your best players down.

 

[AngryFan]

This isn’t high school basketball and tanking isn’t something new. If your kid has a hard time understanding that maybe work harder with them on their reasoning skills.

 

[BassPlaya]

I'm sorry but if people don't understand that professional sports franchises cannot take things one year at a time let alone one game at a time, then wake up! When you play at any level of sports where there are no contracts then you can play for every win possible because you have uncontrollable constant churn. Once you get contracts and draft assets involved it's juvenile to think that teams need to throw everything they have at every game that they play. Load management, making sure players take care of injuries and not playing your most important players at the end of the season once you've clinched a spot in the playoffs to insure those players' availability are all ways in which teams use strategy to try and win more in the long run while sacrificing wins here and there.

That being said resting players once you know you don't have a chance to compete in the playoffs (not mathematically eliminated just common sense) so they have less wear and tear and so you get a better draft pick to trade or have a better chance to get the player you want, while simultaneously getting young players experience and evaluating players on your roster that you aren't sure about going forward with is by far the most multifaceted competitive reason to sit your best players down.

Exactly. Always balancing wins/load/and player development. Once the season has tilted to the lose side of the balance...development (which includes both the determination of who gets retained, and who gets paraded for other teams to acquire in a trade) becomes a rare golden opportunity. I have loved watching Trendon get rare starter minutes (before his injury), Little show more of himself, and of course Sharpe demonstrating he is on his way to controlling an offense.

If you see the remaining games as a waste, one might consider why they are watching in the first place. The odds of a championship are about 2 times in a lifetime. That's a lot of "waste".

 

[Samuel]

Eh, they were losing ‘before’ the tank too.

 

[OneSport3]

The Blazers are sitting their starters for the rest of the season in order to get a better pick in the draft. Second year in a row. That’s how low this franchise has sunk. That’s how pathetic things have gotten. Jack Ramsay and Harry Glickman are rolling over in their graves. If you purchased tickets for your family so you could see one of the final games of the season, sorry about that. The Blazers are going to make sure they lose by putting one of the shittiest lineups you’ve ever seen on the floor. And all for what? So they can move up three spots in the draft?? So they have a slightly better chance of getting the best player? This is insanity and desperation all in one—and it’s degrading to the city and the long-suffering fans. This is not what sports is about. No high school coach ever tells his players to intentionally lose a game, because it violates the ethics of sportsmanship and fair play, and because it’s no way to go through life. But the NBA commissioner is going to look the other way, because the NBA is a joke itself.

If we didn’t tank last season, we wouldn’t have Shaedon Sharpe on our roster. So yes, tank.

It’s not about 1 game or 1 season. It’s about the big picture.

 

[Fairly-Hard]

If we didn’t tank last season, we wouldn’t have Shaedon Sharpe on our roster. So yes, tank.

It’s not about 1 game or 1 season. It’s about the big picture.

Maybe with any luck we can tank again next year and make the big picture even bigger?

 

[Chris Craig]

Yes, the NBA is a big fucking joke. If the Blazers weren't a team in the league, I'd never watch.

 

[KingSpeed]

The Blazers are sitting their starters for the rest of the season in order to get a better pick in the draft. Second year in a row. That’s how low this franchise has sunk. That’s how pathetic things have gotten. Jack Ramsay and Harry Glickman are rolling over in their graves. If you purchased tickets for your family so you could see one of the final games of the season, sorry about that. The Blazers are going to make sure they lose by putting one of the shittiest lineups you’ve ever seen on the floor. And all for what? So they can move up three spots in the draft?? So they have a slightly better chance of getting the best player? This is insanity and desperation all in one—and it’s degrading to the city and the long-suffering fans. This is not what sports is about. No high school coach ever tells his players to intentionally lose a game, because it violates the ethics of sportsmanship and fair play, and because it’s no way to go through life. But the NBA commissioner is going to look the other way, because the NBA is a joke itself.

Do you not like Shaedon Sharpe? We got him by tanking last year. We’ll get another great player this year. How else do you suggest we get top talent around Dame and for after he’s gone?

 

[KingSpeed]

Eh, they were losing ‘before’ the tank too.

This

 

[blazerfan11]

In the 2017-18 season, the Memphis grizzlies had a record of 22 and 60. In the 2018 draft they drafted Jaren Jackson Jr. with the 4th pick.

In 2018-19 the grizzlies had a record of 33-49.
In the 2019 draft, the grizzlies picked Ja Morant with the number two pick.

Three seasons after Ja Morant was drafted (2021-22), the Memphis grizzlies finished the season in second place in the Western Conference. This season the Memphis grizzlies are in second place in the conference.

It took 2 seasons of being bad, then a couple more seasons of being mediocre, before the Grizzlies were one of the top teams in the conference (based on conference standings).

There is no guarantee that following a similar path will get similar results.
But (outside of Dame) with the talent level Cronin started with, being bad now offered the best odds to break out of the interminable cycle of mediocrity.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm sorry but if people don't understand that professional sports franchises cannot take things one year at a time let alone one game at a time, then wake up! When you play at any level of sports where there are no contracts then you can play for every win possible because you have uncontrollable constant churn. Once you get contracts and draft assets involved it's juvenile to think that teams need to throw everything they have at every game that they play. Load management, making sure players take care of injuries and not playing your most important players at the end of the season once you've clinched a spot in the playoffs to insure those players' availability are all ways in which teams use strategy to try and win more in the long run while sacrificing wins here and there.

That being said resting players once you know you don't have a chance to compete in the playoffs (not mathematically eliminated just common sense) so they have less wear and tear and so you get a better draft pick to trade or have a better chance to get the player you want, while simultaneously getting young players experience and evaluating players on your roster that you aren't sure about going forward with is by far the most multifaceted competitive reason to sit your best players down.

It should be said that if we had tried and won the last 3 games, we’d only be 1.5 games out of the play-in with a tiebreaker against Dallas (8th since OKC would’ve lost to us) who we play again. If we truly wanted the play-in, we quit too soon. That said, I’m glad we’re tanking for a star even though the NBA is less interesting to me now.

 

[Ed O]

Did the OP claim the city of Portland is being degraded by Portland not playing its four best players?

 

[SharpesTriumph]

The Blazers are sitting their starters for the rest of the season in order to get a better pick in the draft. Second year in a row. That’s how low this franchise has sunk. That’s how pathetic things have gotten. Jack Ramsay and Harry Glickman are rolling over in their graves. If you purchased tickets for your family so you could see one of the final games of the season, sorry about that. The Blazers are going to make sure they lose by putting one of the shittiest lineups you’ve ever seen on the floor. And all for what? So they can move up three spots in the draft?? So they have a slightly better chance of getting the best player? This is insanity and desperation all in one—and it’s degrading to the city and the long-suffering fans. This is not what sports is about. No high school coach ever tells his players to intentionally lose a game, because it violates the ethics of sportsmanship and fair play, and because it’s no way to go through life. But the NBA commissioner is going to look the other way, because the NBA is a joke itself.

Yes I agree it has an element of toxicity.

I'm going to go to a game next week, but will be rooting for the team to lose because thats the best way for this franchise to improve long term. Not sure I will want to see the 4th quarter because I cringe at the thought of watching my favorite team with the hope they lose.

I don't fault the Blazers; but I certainly do fault the NBA structure.

 

[Hoopguru]

Take away the incentive to lose, put every team under 500 (prob 1/2) in the lottery with equal chances. Teams that finish over 500 get some sort of incentive other than seeding.

 

[BBert]

You don't have to hope they lose. Just know they are going to lose. Cheer hard for the players while you're there. These young guys will appreciate your support. Fan support will boost their moral and effort and performance which will make it a closer game with more exciting plays. Just enjoy the moment without worrying about winning and losing.

 

[BBert]

In our current situation, losing is winning. And that's worth rooting for!

 

[blazerkor]

It should be said that if we had tried and won the last 3 games, we’d only be 1.5 games out of the play-in with a tiebreaker against Dallas (8th since OKC would’ve lost to us) who we play again. If we truly wanted the play-in, we quit too soon. That said, I’m glad we’re tanking for a star even though the NBA is less interesting to me now.

My definition of competing in the playoffs is one that Cronin used last year at the deadline. He said that sure we probably could have made the playoffs that season and maybe even won in the first round but we're looking to compete for championships and that team wasn't going to and neither was the one that could have made a run at the play in games but probably wouldn't have even gotten through those and definitely wouldn't have won a seven game series against any of the teams in the top 4 in the west this season.

So to say we could have competed in the playoffs is like saying that we have been competing the last few games... sure we've played the games but we weren't competitive.

 

[wizenheimer]

my opinion is that people who don't like tanking in the NBA should be working on their spring gardens right now...or traveling...or reading a book

Portland was 3 games out of the 10th seed when they actually started the tank. What fucking difference would 2 or 3 or 4 more wins make this season? Other than giving them a lower draft pick of course

of all the things wrong with the NBA I think tanking is way down the list. If people want to bitch about something they should bitch about having a luxury tax system instead of a hard cap; or back-to-back games; or a majority of teams making the playoffs

 

[glazeduck]

Take away the incentive to lose, put every team under 500 (prob 1/2) in the lottery with equal chances. Teams that finish over 500 get some sort of incentive other than seeding.

I get the appeal to use a very simplistic approach, but I think this is overly simplistic.

I think the closest you can come to creating a "right" framework (because there will always be problems) is slotting lottery odds by BEST winning percentage for teams missing the playoffs after:
A) a team is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs;
B) a team is some arbitrary # or % games out of the playoffs
C) an arbitrary threshold of games played (say, 70 games)

In these types of situations, your essentially setting up a sub-tournament of sorts for the bad teams encouraging them to win games. Eliminates the problem of tanking, but creates new issues with potential player safety/load management, player development, etc.

 

[TBpup]

Eh, they were losing ‘before’ the tank too.

Exactly. Were were playing at a tanking level before, without trying. Now, we are just doing it with purpose.

 

[THE HCP]

Yes, the NBA is a big fucking joke. If the Blazers weren't a team in the league, I'd never watch.

WOW!

 

[Whyachi]

Exactly. Were were playing at a tanking level before, without trying. Now, we are just doing it with purpose.

28-30 before the trade deadline is not tanking, it's actually rather impressive for a team that had their finger on the tank button before the season even started. Basically, Lillard had one helluva season.

There was a huge "Trade Nurk" narrative before the deadline. Portland probably couldn't find a buyer, and had to use the Hart and Payton deals to open up room for Jerami Grant's upcoming mega contract.

 

[tykendo]

The thing i hate about the NBA , is that tanking is necessary as a tool for small markets to compete. With the unfortunate fact that many top free agents won't sign in the small markets, it puts tanking as a top way to build a franchise. The thing is, the NFL also uses tanking as a way to build. It's the best way to get a top stud QB. The advantage the NFL has, is small markets (Green Bay, Denver, Pittsburgh) can compete , and succeed at the highest levels. You don't have to be LA or New York to attract the Best of the best in free agency. The NBA is totally different. Until that changes, if ever, tanking will be a necessity for small markets to hopefully hit the jackpot. But tanking happens bigtime in the NFL. The only thing ,to me, that makes the NBA a joke, is Load Management.

 

[riverman]

NBA officiating is a joke and that trickles down to the players ....we need ex players to become refs...let them play defense and let them finish in the paint like the game was designed to be played.

 

[THE HCP]

I just set 4 games to record tonight while I’m at work. I love this game.

 

[Samuel]

28-30 before the trade deadline is not tanking, it's actually rather impressive for a team that had their finger on the tank button before the season even started. Basically, Lillard had one helluva season.

There was a huge "Trade Nurk" narrative before the deadline. Portland probably couldn't find a buyer, and had to use the Hart and Payton deals to open up room for Jerami Grant's upcoming mega contract.

Portland was bottom 4-5 in the league after game 16, and that was ‘before’ the trade deadline/ASG.

 

[Hoopguru]

This isn’t high school basketball and tanking isn’t something new. If your kid has a hard time understanding that maybe work harder with them on their reasoning skills.

If you're referring to my grandkid her reasoning skills are off the charts...