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2024-2025 Tank Race

Doesn't look like Portland or SA are going to be competition at the very bottom. I think we keep our bottom 3 status pretty easily since we have much tougher strength of schedule than any of the bad eastern teams, even if we out-talent them by a bit.
 
JazzFever said:
Doesn't look like Portland or SA are going to be competition at the very bottom. I think we keep our bottom 3 status pretty easily since we have much tougher strength of schedule than any of the bad eastern teams, even if we out-talent them by a bit.
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Gotta keep our eyes on the prize for 82-games. Have to have a champions mentality in the complete opposite direction.
 
JazzFever said:
Doesn't look like Portland or SA are going to be competition at the very bottom. I think we keep our bottom 3 status pretty easily since we have much tougher strength of schedule than any of the bad eastern teams, even if we out-talent them by a bit.
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Got to think Portland is going to pull a Utah and trade some players off.
 
New Orleans has to be the most fascinating team. They have a lot of mobility to do trades, but do you really do trades when you're so injured? Do you just lean into the draft and trade Zion?
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
Got to think Portland is going to pull a Utah and trade some players off.
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Brooklyn, Portland, and Chicago are in full FAFO mode about tanking right now. Need to move parts yesterday and are going to do it too late and miss top 4. Detroit is likely wanting to see some progress or I would include them as well.
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
New Orleans has to be the most fascinating team. They have a lot of mobility to do trades, but do you really do trades when you're so injured? Do you just lean into the draft and trade Zion?
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They are fully on my radar. Gotta think Zion injury is more like a two month deal and not a two week deal. So much of the supporting cast is hurt but I am not sure getting them back in 10 games or so will help since Zion is already hurt and we know BI ain't an iron man.

They legit could lose like 10 or 11 of their next 12 and it isn't like getting DJM and CJ back is gonna make them some juggernaut. They end up in the tank race imo... they are the unexpected tanker this year.
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
Got to think Portland is going to pull a Utah and trade some players off.
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Why would they? Isn't OKC the model to follow -- 2 years of bottom 5 finishes and then burst to the middle the next year and then top of the league after that? The Blazers have already had their 2 bottom 5 finishes. They should be good to go.

Or maybe they're closer to the Rockets' model with 3 bottom 5 finishes in a row. They just missed the bottom 5 with a bottom 6 finish one of those three years, but the draft capital they gained in their three years toward the bottom seems somewhat comparable (Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson vs. Shaedon Sharp, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan). So just as it was the Rockets' turn to rise last year, maybe it's the Blazers' turn this year.

After all, tanking is all about having a plan for short-term pain and executing for long-term gain, isn't it. It's simple: just follow the model (Thunder and Rockets). Right?
 
idiot said:
Why would they? Isn't OKC the model to follow -- 2 years of bottom 5 finishes and then burst to the middle the next year and then top of the league after that? The Blazers have already had their 2 bottom 5 finishes. They should be good to go.

Or maybe they're closer to the Rockets' model with 3 bottom 5 finishes in a row. They just missed the bottom 5 with a bottom 6 finish one of those three years, but the draft capital they gained in their three years toward the bottom seems somewhat comparable (Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson vs. Shaedon Sharp, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan). So just as it was the Rockets' turn to rise last year, maybe it's the Blazers' turn this year.

After all, tanking is all about having a plan for short-term pain and executing for long-term gain, isn't it. It's simple: just follow the model (Thunder and Rockets). Right?
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Because they got 3 centers who are all good.
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
Because they got 3 centers who are all good.
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Even though I responded to you, my sarcasm wasn't directed at your particular point here, and especially not at you -- just toward those who have undue faith in tanking.

But yeah, they should trade a center. Not so much to be able to tank as to just clear out an area of surplus.
 
It’s gonna be difficult for all of these tanking teams to trade all their players. Even if they’re giving some of them away for free it’s hard to find destinations for everyone. You need to do your work early if you plan dumping quality players.
 
KqWIN said:
Pelican's injury report is just insane. They might pack it in for the rest of the year. Upcoming schedule is vicious and they've got no players.
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We are seeing the exact same thing. They will be like 4-18 and 7-8 games out of the play in and just decide to punt. Their team is like a 50 win team (on the top end) if completely healthy and they have the two of the least reliable "stars". They are cooked.
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
We are seeing the exact same thing. They will be like 4-18 and 7-8 games out of the play in and just decide to punt. Their team is like a 50 win team (on the top end) if completely healthy and they have the two of the least reliable "stars". They are cooked.
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I think it will be a little difficult to convince their players to be on board…but a 4-18 type record will go along way in inducing hopelessness. I think when DJ comes back they won’t have completely punted yet. All hope for playoffs will be over, but hard to tell 5-6 players to quit on their entire year in real life. It’s definitely something easier said than done.
 
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