2024-2025 Tank Race

[Handlogten's Heros]

Being mid doesn't sound like top 3 tanking to me. If they are mid for like 30 games of the season, they are pretty much out of the top 3 race IMO.

We might be mid for 30 games. Doesn't mean .500. If we go 10-20 or 12-18 over a 30 game span can still end with 22-26 wins and be in the thick of that tank race. Teams will have good stretches.

Compare our roster with their roster without Zion... now we aren't playing it straight but its just not very good. And they still need to drop below the tax and making a deal is going to require moving a piece with at least a medium salary. If BI is somewhat healthy and they have an opportunity to move him I can see that leading to "punting" on an already terrible season.

I'm also a little doubtful that they get healthy. They have had a lot of struggles with their key players over the years and are starting from a position of severely injured. If it was about staying healthy vs. getting healthy I'd feel better about the long term health prognosis. Players have setbacks.

All I am saying is that they are a really bad team until they prove otherwise to me. Whether tanking with intention or not they are a threat until proven otherwise.

 

[KqWIN]

We might be mid for 30 games. Doesn't mean .500. If we go 10-20 or 12-18 over a 30 game span can still end with 22-26 wins and be in the thick of that tank race. Teams will have good stretches.

Compare our roster with their roster without Zion... now we aren't playing it straight but its just not very good. And they still need to drop below the tax and making a deal is going to require moving a piece with at least a medium salary. If BI is somewhat healthy and they have an opportunity to move him I can see that leading to "punting" on an already terrible season.

I'm also a little doubtful that they get healthy. They have had a lot of struggles with their key players over the years and are starting from a position of severely injured. If it was about staying healthy vs. getting healthy I'd feel better about the long term health prognosis. Players have setbacks.

All I am saying is that they are a really bad team until they prove otherwise to me. Whether tanking with intention or not they are a threat until proven otherwise.

I don't think a 27 win team is what I would consider mid, but if we do have a decent stretch for 30 games I'd say we're also not likely to be top 3. That goes for any team, it's just easier to see how the Pelicans get there. Right now I'd say they are a mid team even without Zion.

They've been injured almost the entire year and are about as good as we are. We've had some injuries but nothing close to what they have had. Anything can happen, but I think the likelihood of them improving over the course of the season is greater than our own. I would keep an eye on them and include them on tank watch, but there are probably 5-6 teams I'm more concerned about. Bottom 3 would be fairly shocking to me.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I don't think a 27 win team is what I would consider mid, but if we do have a decent stretch for 30 games I'd say we're also not likely to be top 3. That goes for any team, it's just easier to see how the Pelicans get there. Right now I'd say they are a mid team even without Zion.

They've been injured almost the entire year and are about as good as we are. We've had some injuries but nothing close to what they have had. Anything can happen, but I think the likelihood of them improving over the course of the season is greater than our own. I would keep an eye on them and include them on tank watch, but there are probably 5-6 teams I'm more concerned about. Bottom 3 would be fairly shocking to me.

Unless we get more grimy or make a trade I don't think we are a bottom 3 team. We could also have a legit injury that costs Lauri/Walker/Sexton 6 weeks that might put us there. I think we end up the next tier up.

 

[KqWIN]

Unless we get more grimy or make a trade I don't think we are a bottom 3 team. We could also have a legit injury that costs Lauri/Walker/Sexton 6 weeks that might put us there. I think we end up the next tier up.

I expect we'll get grimy at some point, we did so when the incentives were significantly less. But it wouldn't surprise me if we're not bottom 3....The only team I feel confident that is bottom 3 is WAS, but I'd say we're between 2-4 in power rankings at the moment. NOP is beyond that for me. For us, it will come down to how soon Hardy gives up. If he really wants wins like he did against NYK, it will certainly come at the cost of lotto balls.

Don't think the expectation should have been top 3 as long as Lauri was here though, so I'm not too bothered by it. There are other guys I'd certainly be willing to get rid of in a tank effort though

 

[jazznik]

The Jazz have just killed their golden goose and sent Cody to the G League. They rarely play Brice. Compared to other teams they are relatively healthy. Our tanking is in serious peril, folks.

 

[jazznik]

On this date last year the Jazz had the 7th worst record vs the 5th worst record now. So, they performed slightly worse so far but it does not look like a serious, dedicated tank at all. The entire difference in the standings is probably due to the mediocre start by Lauri, otherwise the Jazz would be exactly in the same place as last year.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I expect we'll get grimy at some point, we did so when the incentives were significantly less. But it wouldn't surprise me if we're not bottom 3....The only team I feel confident that is bottom 3 is WAS, but I'd say we're between 2-4 in power rankings at the moment. NOP is beyond that for me. For us, it will come down to how soon Hardy gives up. If he really wants wins like he did against NYK, it will certainly come at the cost of lotto balls.

Don't think the expectation should have been top 3 as long as Lauri was here though, so I'm not too bothered by it. There are other guys I'd certainly be willing to get rid of in a tank effort though

I know. We could trade Walker and get bottom 3 for sure.

 

[KqWIN]

Walker -> CHO would be a bogo tank trade. Eliminates a tank competitor and helps our tank. They have all their picks plus two extra. I seriously think they can make the play in with Walker.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

On this date last year the Jazz had the 7th worst record vs the 5th worst record now. So, they performed slightly worse so far but it does not look like a serious, dedicated tank at all. The entire difference in the standings is probably due to the mediocre start by Lauri, otherwise the Jazz would be exactly in the same place as last year.

If the Dallas game had flipped on us I think we'd be pretty golden. I think we started off with a pretty dedicated tank but seem to be throttling down some of the main things that we shouldn't if the tank is to be successful. Sexton getting more minutes, Cody being in the G, Juzang playing over Brice. Lauri's back spasms should have been another game or two.

Atlanta just got a hefty fine for sitting Trae. I wonder if teams get really scared. One thing that OKC did was just straight shutdown Al Horford like 20 games into the season. No injury... just shut him down. That likely would not fly right now.

We need more Keyonte at pg and more Cody minutes once he's played well in the G. We will also need a trade. If not we will end up 5-6 (which was my expectation). I am now greedy and would love to land 3 or 4 by being just a bit more grimy.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Walker -> CHO would be a bogo tank trade. Eliminates a tank competitor and helps our tank. They have all their picks plus two extra. I seriously think they can make the play in with Walker.

Might even be able to do Williams for Walker and we get a pick or two. We can take a look at Mark Williams and maybe he actually stays healthy.

I doubt they do anything. I think the new ownership will likely take a patient long-term approach but that's just a guess.

 

[HermanG]

If the Dallas game had flipped on us I think we'd be pretty golden. I think we started off with a pretty dedicated tank but seem to be throttling down some of the main things that we shouldn't if the tank is to be successful. Sexton getting more minutes, Cody being in the G, Juzang playing over Brice. Lauri's back spasms should have been another game or two.

Atlanta just got a hefty fine for sitting Trae. I wonder if teams get really scared. One thing that OKC did was just straight shutdown Al Horford like 20 games into the season. No injury... just shut him down. That likely would not fly right now.

We need more Keyonte at pg and more Cody minutes once he's played well in the G. We will also need a trade. If not we will end up 5-6 (which was my expectation). I am now greedy and would love to land 3 or 4 by being just a bit more grimy.

Thats what you want. What do you think they'll do tho?

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Thats what you want. What do you think they'll do tho?

I think we have a run of semi-competent basketball... not like .500 but like 7-13-ish. They make a meh trade at the trade deadline (Sexton, JC, Collins are the most likely candidates imo) and proceed to be really bad. End up in the 5th spot +- one spot depending on injury and how gross other teams get. Its just that the door is open right now to put major distance between us and Porty/Hornets/Nets/Bulls and sink slightly below the Raps. Once everyone gets in the mud its hard to get as dirty as you need to be.

I think there is like a 25% chance DA decides he is done effing around tho and makes a Sexton or Walker move around 12/15 when the trade market opens up and ends up getting in front of everything. Would require taking a lower price on one of those guys and not sure he has that in him. If he dealt Sexton or Walker to LAL he will also end up taking an ego hit with the media being all "can you believe they got Walker for one first round pick? Ainge has lost his fastball".