2025-2026 Tank Race Prediction Contest and Current Results Thread

[jazznik]

I’m hoping the org’s goals are to get as low as 3rd or 4th rather than just barely keeping the pick. If it’s the latter, it’s gonna be a really stressful 4 months.

Goals should be realistic. Getting as low as 3rd or 4th would require 18-19 wins total. Do you think the Jazz can somehow post a 4-38 record going forward? Don't forget that they are many games against teams like Washington and Brooklyn who would not allow the Jazz to outtank them without a fight. You are talking about playing at the historically bad level, rivaling the pace of the worst-ever NBA teams.

 

[framer]

I honestly believe that the calculus of what we are doing would be different if we still had a healthy Walker Kessler. We could have easily competed for a playoff spot and handed OKC a non-lottery pick. We couldn't have gotten grimy enough with a healthy Kessler.

Without Kessler, we probably aren't good enough to make the playoffs, even if we played unfettered. We would probably be in that 8-10 range. In every instance that I have ever seen in the NBA, a team on the edge with a protected pick will slide underneath that level. Every single time.

I don't think there actually is a huge narrative that the Jazz are the worst tankers, outside of OKC fans, which are made up entirely of band waggoners who are the fans most likely to post on general NBA boards. Anyone who was a true OKC fan, knows what they did and that they have no room to criticize.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Goals should be realistic. Getting as low as 3rd or 4th would require 18-19 wins total. Do you think the Jazz can somehow post a 4-38 record going forward? Don't forget that they are many games against teams like Washington and Brooklyn who would not allow the Jazz to outtank them without a fight. You are talking about playing at the historically bad level, rivaling the pace of the worst-ever NBA teams.

That seems like a lot of unnecessary prognostication. The Jazz are two wins ahead of 4th and four wins ahead of 3rd. Seems feasible but will probably require unrelenting griminess.