2025-2026 Tank Race Prediction Contest and Current Results Thread

[SoberasHotRod]

I'm not sure if someone will be starting a Western Conference Prediction Thread (someone still should), but I thought it would be fun/sad/interesting to have a bottom 10 in the NBA prediction contest. I'll also be using this thread to post periodic updates to the tank race.

Please Post with #1 being the worst team/best lottery odds and #10 being the 21st best team in the NBA. If you post or edit your predictions after the season starts it will not count towards the contest.

Points will be totaled based on: 5pts - correct team in correct spot, 3pts - team within 2 spots of prediction, 1pt - team correctly identified in bottom 10

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Probably not my final guess, but will post something so people have a template for what I'm looking for:

1. BKN
2. WAS
3. UTA
4. NOP
5. CHA
6. PHO
7. SAC
8. MEM
9. POR
10. CHI

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Here are a few offseason power rankings bottom 10:
Yahoo:
1. UTA
2. CHA
3. BKN
4. NOP
5. POR
6. WAS
7. PHO
8. SAC
9. TOR
10. MIA

Tankathon:
1. UTA
2. WAS
3. BKN
4. CHA
5. POR
6. CHI
7. PHO
8. SAC
9. NOP
10. MIA

Draft King Win Total Over Unders:
1. UTA
2. WAS
3. BKN
4. CHA
5. PHO
6. POR
7. CHIC
8. NOP
9. TOR
10. MIA

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I think the Jazz will be bottom 3. I don't think the Jazz can duck Brooklyn. It's going to be close with Washington again. I think the Tank Race probably looks like this right now:
1) BRK
2) UTA
3) WAS
4) PHI
5) CHI
6) PHX
7) BOS
8) CHA
9) TOR
10) IND
The sleepers here are Philadelphia (with PG and Embiid injured), Indiana (without Haliburton and Turner) and Boston (who gutted half their team).

 

[SD Jazz]

My guess is Utah is about 5th worst:
1) BRK
2) TOR
3) WAS
4) CHI
5) UTA
6) PHX
7) NOP
8) IND
9) CHA
10) PHI

 

[David Hume]

1. WAS
2. UTA
3. BKN
4. NOP
5. PHL
6. CHI
7. PHX
8. TOR
9. CHA
10. SAC

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

The other sleeper that people seem to be forgetting is Boston. Their starting lineup is probably going to be:
1 - Pritchard or Simons
2 - White
3 - Brown
4 - Hauser or Boucher
5 - Qeta

And they're probably going to trade Simons. They're coming for us.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

1- BKN
2- WAS
3- UTA
4- CHA
5- NOP
6- SAC
7- POR
8- PHX
9- PHI
10- MIL


I think if Giannis misses 10-15 games pre-AS they may end up cooked early like Philly was last year. Its kind of tough. A lot of the bad teams could be kinda frisky if things break right.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

The other sleeper that people seem to be forgetting is Boston. Their starting lineup is probably going to be:
1 - Pritchard or Simons
2 - White
3 - Brown
4 - Hauser or Boucher
5 - Qeta

And they're probably going to trade Simons. They're coming for us.

Boston and Indiana both own their picks this year and both would have great reason to tank. I think Boston is far more likely to be that despicable though.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Kevin Pelton Win Projections:

1. WAS 14.2
2. BKN 17.6
3. UTA 20.2
4. CHA 28.5
5. NOP 32.6
6. PHO 34.7
7. POR 35.8
8. CHI 38.0
9. PHI 38.4
10. SAS 40.1

 

[SoberasHotRod]

You shouldn't overreact to preseason, but Toronto looked like the much better team vs Sacramento yesterday and Toronto plays in the East.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Bump, 5 days to get in your predictions.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Man, I really feel like Utah could be better than Memphis, Portland, Sacramento, New Orleans and possibly San Antonio.

Would mostly be health dependent for all teams, but Memphis/Sacramento/New Orleans are perpetually cursed by injuries and chronically underperform.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Also, is there a Western Conference Prediction thread?

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Also, is there a Western Conference Prediction thread?

I mentioned it. Someone needs to start it. @HermanG are you willing to take that on?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Kevin Pelton Win Projections:

1. WAS 14.2
2. BKN 17.6
3. UTA 20.2
4. CHA 28.5
5. NOP 32.6
6. PHO 34.7
7. POR 35.8
8. CHI 38.0
9. PHI 38.4
10. SAS 40.1

I saw Locke said the Pelton projections have us having 2 wins at the end of December (or maybe the start), 12 by the all-star break, then 20. So I guess we have a severely front-loaded schedule?

 

[KqWIN]

1. BKN
2. WAS
3. UTA
4. MEM
5. CHO
6. NOP
7. SAC
8. PHX
9. POR
10. TOR

 

[LogGrad98]

Better than this, here is how the top 5 picks will fall out:

Note: 1-3 are interchangeable, could be any of 1 through 3, but this is most likely:

1 - Phil
2 - Phx
3 - San Antonio if they are in the lottery, otherwise most like Bkn
4 - Was
5 - Utah

Book it. More likely if we end up with the worst record for real.

 

[fishonjazz]

Man, I really feel like Utah could be better than Memphis, Portland, Sacramento, New Orleans and possibly San Antonio.

Would mostly be health dependent for all teams, but Memphis/Sacramento/New Orleans are perpetually cursed by injuries and chronically underperform.

I don't see us being worse than the spurs.

Also, we seem to be perpetually cursed by injuries and chronically underperform during the Hardy era so that should be taken into consideration as well

 

[fishonjazz]

1. BKN
2. WAS
3. UTA
4. MEM
5. CHO
6. NOP
7. SAC
8. PHX
9. POR
10. TOR

3 feels like the lucky number for next draft so I like your prediction.