* Unleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeess there's a Tim Duncan in the wings. Which, I know this is a strong draft. Maybe not Duncan strong, though. Then you'd see 12 teams shooting with the accuracy of Imperial stormtroopers.
The lottery combined with OKC owning a swap makes our outcomes so crazy I think we are playing to win , but just aren’t that good. Even if we are worst or 2nd worst in the league we only have 50/50 shot to keep our pick .. if not it will get downgraded to whichever pick is better between BKN or Miami . imo the worst case is falling between the 3-8th worst record in the nba . Pretty high odds of handing OKC a really good pick . Being in the 9/10-14 range is a bit better . If you roll your spot you aren’t giving up an Amazing pick .. plus you have an outside chance to get lucky and be top 4 and keep . Plus in the case OKC swaps Miami’s pick with ours , Miami hasn’t been great this year and we might still get a top 20 pick . this year the tank has a good shot at getting us absolutlely nothing . At least if we tank next year we will keep it even if we are the absolute worst and pick 5th . if it was a random team in the east maybe the calculus of giving away a good pick wouldn’t weigh so heavily . But imo , it being OKC makes it matter more not to give a WC team a premium pick .
I think this FO was hoping we'd be overperforming by hanging around the playoff/play-in cut off and move the expiring vets/flip Dipo. We've had some bad luck with injuries plus we are pretty mediocre.
I can point you to a dozen teams with losing records who have had losing records for a decade or longer. How long have the Kings or the Wolves or the Magic or the Bobcats or the Knicks or the Bulls or the Cavs or the Pistons been utter ****? As long as they've had top 10 picks, I'd say. And I don't think it's changing anytime soon. You become a contender when you've got all the pieces EXCEPT one, and then you add the one missing piece.
Are we really comparing those guys to Harden? And honestly y'all are way too excited about Wood. He's good. I like the kid. I will be surprised if he develops into the type of talent you can build a franchise around. Right now he's a lot closer to Hassan Whiteside's career path than James Harden.
No. I realize that it happens frequently. However, it is still the most tried and true method for a franchise in our position to acquire a generational talent. However long the odds, the odds of any other way are considerably longer.
Presti got payback on us for the Harden trade with the Westbrook trade. Everything that happened since that WB trade has been ****, and with the top 4 protection looming over us we don't even control our own destiny. Presti got revenge.
I think he won the Westbrook trade more than we won the Harden trade. Steven Adams was huge for them. WB trade is probably the worst trade in history.
Ahh but your point comes back to bite you my friend. None and I mean none of the teams you mentioned tanked properly. Every year they'd sign vets, throw big contracts at not too good players and trade for aging stars in a feeble attempt to squeak into the playoffs. Minny traded for Jimmy, Pistons traded for Blake, Knicks would spend all their cap on randos every year. None of them tanked, they all just sucked. Philly tanked properly, the bottomed out, traded everything for picks and embraced the pain. Okc is doing that now. Tanking takes an organisational buy in and long term vision that is not the same as just sucking. If you want to end up like those crappy teams you mentioned, then you hold on to the delusion that we are good enough to be competitive and make short term moves to squeak into the playoffs. If you want to get out of purgatory, you tank.
IF the Rox can score one of the top tier guys in this draft they would be well on their way to having half of a rotation they can start to let grow together. Add 3 more picks next season and then whatever they can score for Wall and Gordon's expiring deals and, perhaps, a max free agent the season after. This team could be young and ready to go. All they need to do is swallow their pride and continue on for 3 more measly months.
When is the next CBA due up for re-negotiation? Our best bet may be to hope the NBA takes a hardline stance to increase parity and prevent super teams. I’m not holding my breath.
Wood won't want to tank and pissing him off is not something we can afford. Better to rebuild on the fly (you still lose but it won't be obvious) with the Vipers and Wood. Trade at least Dipo, Gordon, Tucker, for some NBA role player youth (like Tate) and run with Wood, Wall, and the Vipers. Like I said, you'll still lose but at least Wood think you're trying to build. Sure you win an occasional game on accident but last thing you want is for Wood to get pissed and ask for a trade too.
