2025-2026 Tank Race Prediction Contest and Current Results Thread

[Handlogten's Heros]

A lot of the talk about this on social media is pretty ridiculous. What else should our front office have done when the other tanking teams are doing the same things? Twiddle thumbs and do nothing?

If we sit guys they cry. If we play guys for 3 quarters they cry. Play developing guys instead of fringe NBA players... tears.

Every tanking team has and is doing this.

 

[framer]

In the post you quoted I wasn't specifically referring to Utah, but the combined tanking efforts from all of the teams that is getting attention. I could be wrong, but I don't know if there has ever been a year where so many teams have done such obvious things to try and lose games so early in to the season. There at least hasn't been as much media attention about it as there has been this year that I can remember. It feels like in the past most teams haven't gotten super grimy until March.

Again, this isn't Utah specific, I think it's a league wide trend that I'm sure will at least be addressed when all of the teams meet.

It actually IS pretty Utah centric, at least this year. I actually think a lot of it is because we didnt give Lauri away to a team the average NBA fan likes better. They are OK with small market teams tanking as long as they know their role as feeder teams.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Already seen 3 national podcasts lead with Utah Jazz are disgusting lol. Literally every team pulls starters in the 4th when tanking. I'm sorry our starters are better than most tanking teams now that we made a win now trade. Playing them for 3 quarters is not worse than not playing them at all.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

It actually IS pretty Utah centric, at least this year. I actually think a lot of it is because we didnt give Lauri away to a team the average NBA fan likes better. They are OK with small market teams tanking as long as they know their role as feeder teams.

Part of it comes from OKC. Presti absolutely pushing stuff behind the scenes. The other part is the media echo chamber.

What Indiana did against us is way more disgusting but maybe not enough people had bet on the Quenton Jackson over to get any attention lol.

Its just weird that they could talk about how awesome a former tank team like Hornets are... or who is gonna win the East. They'd rather shame the Jazz for a game in Orlando than none of they asses actually watched lol.

 

[KqWIN]

Already seen 3 national podcasts lead with Utah Jazz are disgusting lol. Literally every team pulls starters in the 4th when tanking. I'm sorry our starters are better than most tanking teams now that we made a win now trade. Playing them for 3 quarters is not worse than not playing them at all.

It may be true, but crying about it on twitter doesn't help and incentives them to do it more.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I guess the Wiz have a worse roster... but only because they won't play Trae or AD if they are healthy. They are doing the same stuff we are to juice their losses. Indiana has loads of talent and started the season with a rash of injuries. If they played it close to straight they'd be well over .500 the rest of the season... just like us.

Even the Kangz have pulled the plus on 3 close games in a week's time. They were just normal bad before that. Though Sabonis took his time.

There are just no ethics in tanking. Period. Its not more ethical to trade players than to rest them. Its not more ethical to stop playing your starters after 3 quarters than to just sit them out entirely. Youth movements and development are common for March/April. Like we didn't invent this.

I don't think they can actually unilaterally do anything about it at the AS break. But the threat of action, attention, and competition was always why you needed to lean into dev early in the season rather than "tank later". These are all things I warned about. If we change directions a bit because of league office pressure and it actually causes us to lose the pick it will be so dumb.

Gotta try to keep the pick, basically no matter what.

I disagree that there aren’t different degrees of tanking. Agree that people are being literally insanely precious about the morality of the topic.

If we want to address a way bigger existential threat to the integrity of the game, can we please address the literal partnerships with the league and gambling platforms? Especially since gambling goons are probably flooding the tanking discourse with rage because they’re placing prop bets on the dumbest **** imaginable?

 

[framer]

Already seen 3 national podcasts lead with Utah Jazz are disgusting lol. Literally every team pulls starters in the 4th when tanking. I'm sorry our starters are better than most tanking teams now that we made a win now trade. Playing them for 3 quarters is not worse than not playing them at all.

These same podcasts didnt rank any of our players of any worth at the start of the year. They left Key off of their list of top 35 under 25 completely. They can collectively screw themselves.

As far as tanking goes we have given very few minutes to players that won't be a part of our future (I assume we are bringing Nurk back.) We have actuslly won games because of it. Even the last game we weren't throwing g leaguers out there and almost won because of it.

It would be hard to find a team in the history of the NBA that didnt limit their success to make sure a pick didnt convey if things were close. Additionally, it has been pretty accepted to develop talent after the trade deadline if the playoffs aren't happening.

That is why I am not upset about not going dirty from day one. We played it pretty mainstream with previous league examples to back us up. We are pretty untouchable this year, and next year tanking won't matter.

 

[framer]

Part of it comes from OKC. Presti absolutely pushing stuff behind the scenes. The other part is the media echo chamber.

What Indiana did against us is way more disgusting but maybe not enough people had bet on the Quenton Jackson over to get any attention lol.

Its just weird that they could talk about how awesome a former tank team like Hornets are... or who is gonna win the East. They'd rather shame the Jazz for a game in Orlando than none of they asses actually watched lol.

Also there is the Danny Ainge issue. People hate Danny Ainge and would hate to see him be successful in Utah especially.

 

[jom2003]

Remove pick protection would solve a lot of tanking.

You shouldn't be allowed to still keep your pick after you already theoretically "traded" it away. Teams would have no incentive to tank if they don't even own their FRP. All pick protection does is inflating the value of first round picks in trades and create a bunch of teams having to tank out of necessity to keep their pick.

The only "problem" is it now makes teams more cautious about trading their FRP since they now aren't allowed to add any protection to it. So... I think that should be a no brainer. Unless you are Billy King or Joe Dumars, of course.

 

[Brsn]

We just need to fall one more spot in the standings. Is it too much to ask for that New Orleans becomes semi competent and starts winning some games?

 

[jom2003]

We just need to fall one more spot in the standings. Is it too much to ask for that New Orleans becomes semi competent and starts winning some games?

NOLA has a very favorable schedule so they should be able to pick up a few Ws here and there. But at the same time Mavs is coming for us with a very tough schedule. I think we will end up staying at 6th.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Kings/Pelicans and Nets/Bulls tonight.