Its Time to Tank

[Handlogten's Heros]

6-8 range is typically around 30 wins.

We're not gonna finish 20-46. Even if we sell off Conley and Clarkson for nothing, like, today, with the sheer volume of tanking teams on our schedule, there's just no way.

Our main competition in that tank range is OKC and SA... almost all of our games against them come in the final 20 games. If we are in range we might have a key injury or give Ochai, Dok, 48 minutes a night to develop.

We can absolutely go 20-46 if we offload Mike, JC, or a couple other vets and elevate the play of developing players (which is what drives teams down). OKC's guys are finally mostly good... SA likely doesn't completely pull the plug, Indiana doesn't have a history of tanking and may be cool with the young core they have built. We are only a few games away from those teams. Over 66 games we can perform 3-4 games worse than those teams.

If we roll with Ochai, Simone, Sexton, THT in the place of Mike, JC, and a couple other vets... and they happen to play well enough that we end up 9th or 10th... then that is okay because it means those guys are likely keepers.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The tank trade du jour... Kyrie has one basketball option... LA. Lebron already backed Ky sort of. Brooklyn likely takes any useable players they can get as I think they are out on Irving (unless NBPA comes in and forces them to reinstate him).

So we send JC or Mike to Brooklyn with KO... They send Kyrie to LA and we send Malik to the Lakers too (I can flip flop KO and Beasley depending on who the Nets and Lakers want). We get 1 unprotected pick from the Lakers... either 25 or 26. Brooklyn also gives us second choice in the complicated pick scheme we are already involved in. Likely not any difference there for them but gives that pick a smidge more upside. We also take and waive Westbrook.

Talent wise the Lakers have no chance to do better with their draft assets and it leaves the door open to do another deal or have cap space. They can also keep Ky and Beasley. Brooklyn needs a guy that can handle the ball and good NBA rotation players... also get to move on from Kyrie.

We lose 3 rotation players firmly throwing us in the 6-8 range.

 

[LogGrad98]

Jazz 134-123 76ers (Feb 15, 2021) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA game from February 15, 2021 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

Simmons still the dude who once did this to the Jazz. I'd say that's worth the risk of giving up Beasley and Sexton.

That was Clarkson's 40 pt game with 8 3's as well. Damn that was a crazy game. Simmons laid it all out there and we still won.

But as others have said, he is not the same person at all. I would pass. The only way would be if he were coming on a barely the minimum deal for 1 year to check things out. Otherwise, just say no.

 

[MTS]

Our main competition in that tank range is OKC and SA... almost all of our games against them come in the final 20 games. If we are in range we might have a key injury or give Ochai, Dok, 48 minutes a night to develop.

We can absolutely go 20-46 if we offload Mike, JC, or a couple other vets and elevate the play of developing players (which is what drives teams down).

So we're also just going to be benching our best remaining players?

This is the type of thing you do to have a great chance at a top 2-3 pick. Not something in the 6-8 range.

 

[Jingled]

Jazz 134-123 76ers (Feb 15, 2021) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers NBA game from February 15, 2021 on ESPN. Includes all points, rebounds and steals stats.

www.espn.com

Simmons still the dude who once did this to the Jazz. I'd say that's worth the risk of giving up Beasley and Sexton.

Is he the same guy though? Watching him this season, he doesn't seem to have anywhere near the same athleticism as he did with the Sixers, and his defense has slipped as well. The back injuries may have taken a toll on him. Not to mention the mental aspect of it all. He may just be completely broken at this point.

If he was still this guy, then it would definitely be worth taking a chance on him, but I really don't think he is.


View: https://twitter.com/Whereis__simba/status/1585790625248841728

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

So we're also just going to be benching our best remaining players?

This is the type of thing you do to have a great chance at a top 2-3 pick. Not something in the 6-8 range.

It’s a completely different environment between the play in and odds being more equal… a 30-40% chance at top 4 is enticing enough and the consolation prize is a pick 6-10 spots higher. Blazers did this last year… it’s not unheard of.

You don’t have to “bench” your best players but rest the remaining guys as needs arise and skew minutes more towards dev projects. Probably can’t just deactivate guys like OKC did with Horford… trading one of JC/Mike and one of Vando/KO and playing Ochai/Sexton/THT/Kessler/Dok will put you in that range. Head to head matchups with OKC and SA last 20 games mean you may be able to make up some ground... maybe not nefarious ways but just cuz a guy is hurt and losing those games is a two for one type of deal.

What would we have to trade to move from 15 to 7/8 in this year's draft? Whatever we get in the sell off plus improving our pick will be worth it.. and you get the 30-40% shot at landing a top 4 pick.

 

[stormkoopacv03]

Talent and size wins rings buddy. Sometimes you got to take risk.

That ain't going to happen, buddy. Not with Ben Simmons. Dude, has mental health issues, always hurt and wearing out his welcome in Brooklyn. What makes you think he'll be different here, with the Pretenderzz? He'll want out in a heartbeat.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Look at the Warriors... It shouldn't take a whole lot of time allocated to projects to make you lose more games. Swapping one vet for one dev project would mean at least 3 more loses to our current team. The tank can still fly... or something like that... if we want it to.

 

[MTS]

Look at the Warriors... It shouldn't take a whole lot of time allocated to projects to make you lose more games. Swapping one vet for one dev project would mean at least 3 more loses to our current team. The tank can still fly... or something like that... if we want it to.

Eh. The Warriors were top heavy and lost their top.

 

[sip]

6-8 range is typically around 30 wins.

We're not gonna finish 20-46. Even if we sell off Conley and Clarkson for nothing, like, today, with the sheer volume of tanking teams on our schedule, there's just no way.

There aren't a bunch of tanking teams this year.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Look at the Warriors... It shouldn't take a whole lot of time allocated to projects to make you lose more games. Swapping one vet for one dev project would mean at least 3 more loses to our current team. The tank can still fly... or something like that... if we want it to.

I'd love a trade with the Warriors to get Moody.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Eh. The Warriors were top heavy and lost their top.

Strong disagree... Klay and Poole have struggled but Steph has been electric... Kuminga and Wiseman have devastatingly bad