12-15-2022, 01:32 PM
(12-15-2022, 01:13 PM)StrandedOnBeauboisHill Wrote: Ya, I do hope that the FO is at the point where conversations are being had with Luka about the direction of the team. To your point, I don't think those conversations are around tanking but I hope they're explaining to him that his costar can't be here just yet with the current state of the roster (and also take some accountability for that fact while they're at it) and that this is what we have to work with unfortunately for this season. If the last two weeks of Luka reactions/body language tell us anything, it's that no conversations of any sort are happening with Luka and they think this team is still a legit contender which is kind of concerning at the moment.
I agree with this but the only thing that I'd add is that he will win enough to keep us in the top 2/3rds of the league which is all that it takes for that pick to convey. Even with the Maxi injury it would take a Luka injury to make tanking a viable option.
If losing on purpose was a problem match-fixing wouldn´t exist. We can easily tank with Luka playing 28-30 MPG and the occasional rest game, if we put Green, Hardy, Bertans and McGee out there for 30 minutes. I might also help make Luka feel injured just so he does not have to play with Bertans and McGee anymore.
The concept of tanking is not the problem. The problem is Cuban.
If Luka had an injury would you seriously bet on this team winning more than seven games the rest of the year?
29 wins guaranteed you the 7th odds last season. That is 15-39 the rest of the way. That´s certainly do-able.
Hilariously I think if you did some of these tanking trades like accepting Westbrook + Bryant for Dinwiddie + THJ + Bullock or Wood + McGee for Crowder + Saric, I´m not even sure the team gets worse. That´s something nobody even considers. It´s not illegal to make "tanking" trades and still get good players. More often than not, those are not players that are actually bad, but rather severely overpaid or coming back from injuries.
I´d be more concerned with our tanking strategy with skilled veterans like Westbrook + Crowder + Saric playing for a new contract than THJ, McGee and Bertans enjoying their retirement contracts.