Game Thread Mar 05, 2023 05:00PM MT: Jazz at Thunder

[Tremendous Upside]

No, there is just obvious rewards in a one season tank where we aren’t going to be serious contenders. What helps us more in the future? A play-in game or getting the 8th best lottery odds?

Tankers are funny.

Making noise in the playoffs was apparently so unlikely that it wasn't even worth trying (never mind that we beat the living **** out of teams that are actually going to be in the playoffs) but hoping you hit the jackpot in the lottery with what are still ****ing awful odds AND expecting that draft pick to materialize into an actual difference maker, fast... that's completely rational.

 

[Elizah Huge]

All you folks who wanted to tank had better be happy. This bs is not even remotely fun to watch. I think getting a beat down like this is demoralizing and can't possibly be a good thing for long term growth.

We should all be happy it’s only 17 more games after this. It was an amazing first 60 games.

 

[framer]

But in today's NBA, it's about the championship and nothing else. That is the mentality of teams and players.

Is it though? maybe on message boards and twitter, but that isn't real life.

 

[Bawse Dawg]

How do you tank "right out of the gate" if you have an All Star starter and a dude who's among the top rookies?

You don't. That just doesn't happen, and that's what makes this **** even harder to comprehend.

But we still have those two players right now,

People wanted us to trade some veterans earlier. Sure seemed like it helped once that was done, no?

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

It's very possible there won't be any benefits.

A war chest of assets doesn't help either if you refuse to consolidate it.

Everyone should read all the replies to this tweet by Tony. It's obvious the tank-happy armchair GM's, feeling all giddy and superior right now, make up a tiny minority of the fanbase. Most people are mad because they actually like basketball, not equations and probabilities.


View: https://twitter.com/Tjonesonthenba/status/1632538602767802370?s=20

Dear lord… most people were mad we traded Rudy and Don. Yes… the reason protankers want to lose is we love probabilities so much. We are such morons… everyone knows that winning 40 games in a season is so much more beneficial than winning 32 games… we likely lost a championship or two by tanking these last 20 games.

 

[homeytennis]

Can we waive THT before the 2nd half starts?

 

[Jingled]

It's obvious the goal post trade deadline has been to tank, so I still find it strange that we didn't ship out Olynyk for some second-round picks.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

It's obvious the goal post trade deadline has been to tank, so I still find it strange that we didn't ship out Olynyk for some second-round picks.

I think they keep KO and JC. I think they like what they bring in the future more than a couple seconds. Shrug… likely knew we’d be about as bad as we needed to be.

 

[Elizah Huge]

It's obvious the goal post trade deadline has been to tank, so I still find it strange that we didn't ship out Olynyk for some second-round picks.

I don’t think Olynyk is a floor raiser as far as the tank goes and we probably want him for next year.

 

[Korisfani]

We are such morons…

Finally some self-awareness.

 

[homeytennis]

If I'm Frank Jackson, I am royally POed now. He wasn't given any chance to play and watching an effort like that OMG.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

We should all be happy it’s only 17 more games after this. It was an amazing first 60 games.

It's not as simple as just declaring this season a "success" because of the first 60 games.

Lauri now knows Ainge pissed all over his career season and ruined his chances of getting a taste of the playoffs for the first time.

He may revisit that thought when the Jazz offer him an extension to play 2nd banana in some future iteration of this team when he's 30.

 

[Jingled]

All you folks who wanted to tank had better be happy. This bs is not even remotely fun to watch. I think getting a beat down like this is demoralizing and can't possibly be a good thing for long term growth.

The best thing for the long term growth you speak of is getting the best player in the draft that we possibly can. Sure these last 17 games are going to be rough to watch, but hopefully in the long run it will all be worth it.

 

[Elizah Huge]

It's not as simple as just declaring this season a "success" because of the first 60 games.

Lauri now knows Ainge pissed all over his career season and ruined his chances of getting a taste of the playoffs for the first time.

He may revisit that thought when the Jazz offer him an extension to play 2nd banana in some future iteration of this team when he's 30.

I’m sure Lauri is fuming at the fact he was an all-star starter and could be named an all-NBA player this year.

 

[Jingled]

I’m sure Lauri is fuming at the fact he was an all-star starter and could be named an all-NBA player this year.

Also the leading candidate for Most Improved Player. Hardy and the Jazz have revitalized Lauri's career in a big way and made him a **** ton of money on his next contract. Lauri obviously deserves a ton of credit as well for putting in the work, but his career most likely doesn't take off like this if he doesn't get traded to the Jazz.

 

[Elizah Huge]

Also the leading candidate for Most Improved Player. Hardy and the Jazz have revitalized Lauri's career in a big way and made him a **** ton of money on his next contract. Lauri obviously deserves a ton of cred as well for putting in the work, but his career most likely doesn't take off like this if he doesn't get traded to the Jazz.

100% all of this. There is also no guarantee we even would make it out of the play-in tournament.

 

[FrenchJazzFa]

OKC seems to help us to be back. Tanking against tanking

 

[Korisfani]

could be named an all-NBA player this year.

You do realize the front office pissed away any chance of this happening?

If the team had played like this the whole season, he never would've made the All Star game.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I’m sure Lauri is fuming at the fact he was an all-star starter and could be named an all-NBA player this year.

What does that have to do with Ainge making a mockery of his career season?

He played his way into the AS game. DA didn't get him there.

Just saying all this **** can end up biting the Jazz in the *** in surprising ways.

If we don't hit the jackpot in the draft, Ainge better make some moves in the offseason to seriously improve this team. A full tanking season would almost guarantee Lauri declining an extension and hence ending up on the block, where Ainge would't get anywhere close to equal value back.

 

[Jingled]

100% all of this. There is also no guarantee we even would make it out of the play-in tournament.

Exactly, and even if we did make it out of the play-in, we likely would've just gotten swept in the first round anyway.