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In the NBA context, DEI is signing more white guys, a form of DEI that I suspect many of the most rabid DEI critics would find acceptable. But, I suppose in the current political climate where DEI is the bogeyman responsible for all social ills and government/corporate f-ups, sure, why not?

Defense Entirely Ignored.

You may be right. I hope you're right. I'd only add that "at least somewhat competitive" would likely be considered an unsuccessful tank by most tanking adherents and not worth the 5 or so seasons of shiity losing basketball. We were "at least somewhat competitive" before we blew up the team and...

I imagine there's some threshold of viewership decline that crosses the line from expected to worrisome. If 44% doesn't cross the threshold, then it's probably close to it. Significantly declining viewership also decreases a team's leverage when it comes to negotiating TV rights deals. I don't...

Lakers tears taste like sweet ambrosia.

I'd take the under on that bet.

I suspect this is accurate. People want to be entertained. Winning is entertaining, losing isn't. Most fans just want to watch a good, competitive, entertaining product, and they'll return once we're back to providing it. It's only a relatively small subset of fans who pin everything on winning...

Jordan Poole was correct, Draymond is a backpack for #30. He's the quintessential system player. He luckily found himself playing in the one system where he could thrive and playing with the one person who could carry him to the the heights he reached. Without #30, Draymond would have been an OK...

Perkins is the worst kind of takester: the guy who says purposively dumb, provocative crap just to provoke a reaction. He can't possibly believe all the shiite he says, or can he? He's no better than some run-of-the-mill troll on any random social media site, except that he gets paid millions to...

Which makes the NBA's insistence of fielding TV commentators who constantly trash the current NBA product puzzling. Is there any other sport in which prominent TV commentators routinely trash the on-field/court/ice/etc. product?

I'm not convinced teams still won't load manage, even with a shortened season. It's become a pretty ingrained aspect of the NBA landscape. Plus, I keep hearing and reading from podcasters and pundits that the regular season doesn't matter: it's all about the playoffs. Is that mindset going to...

The Allstar game appears almost irretrievably broken. Despite almost universal acknowledgement that the game sucks, it's hard to note any discernible evidence that the players care. I'm guessing many of them wish it would go away so they could spend a few extra days in Cabo. It's hard to imagine...

I turned off the sound after listening to Hart for a bit. God, he was so annoying. Who likes that crap?

The lack of self-awareness of this quote is stunning: "Over the last 11 games (10-1 record) we have the #1 defensive rating in the league, #2 Net rating (OKC #1) and the #6 offensive rating in the league. What a massive leap from the start of the season when we were dead last on defense."

Whoops, sorry, I didn't catch that your context was rebuilding more broadly. No, a rebuild is more than tanking, whereas tanking is one possible rebuild strategy. I think we'd agree on that. Even then, requiring 10 years for a rebuild is evidence of gross mismanagement. If you can't figure out...

Tank or no tank, smacking down the Lakers always tastes sweet.

If a tank does take 10 years, that's A LOT of patience required of the fanbase, easily crossing the line from asking patience to flagrant incompetence and outright fan abuse. Any GM or front office group that subjects a team's fanbase to this level of suffering deserves all the shiite they get...

Well said. For me, and in the context of the Jazz, a successful tank HAS to include a perennial competitive team that makes regular semi-deep (i.e., second round), deep (conference finals), or finals runs. Otherwise, we blew up a perennially competitive team and endured 5+ years of shiite...

Thank you for your excellent analysis. I guess my question is what are the criteria to determine whether the tank was successful tank and whether the benefits exceed the costs. For example, after suffering five years of intentional misery, what is the expected outcome? An NBA title or multiple...

And I'm equally sure 4 years from now everything will be exactly as rosy as you predict it will be. Does this make you a Rosy Ruby? I don't believe that on signing up for Jazzfanz anyone was asked to sign a pledge promising to be all sunshine and smiles. He's as much right to be...