We don't have to fight over anything but I think the difference between losing on purpose and failing to win is big enough to merit having their own meanings and not be the same thing. It makes a huge difference. Minny would trade for example to improve their team because they want to win games now...while Detroit would sell off players like Blake Griffin because they want to tank. I just think there is a huge difference between a tanking team. Even if it has the same effect it can still be different. Sprinting and Jogging are both running and have the same effect on your body but there is a difference if someone says "I am sprinting," and "I am jogging."
There is also no need for blatant tankathon, the thing you obviously detest. The new lottery increases the chances of the 4th worst or the 5th worst record drastically. That itself will change the notion of 'Tanking'. You could easily give effort in half of the games, and give up in blowouts. In deeper drafts, you can get an Allstar with the 7th pick or the 11th pick.
I do think the notion of tanking is lessening because Silver detests it as much... Silver hates it so much he forced Hinkie out of the NBA and made the Pelicans play Anthony Davis. You even mention the word tank and you are getting a 500k fine from the NBA. As a result, I think you will see most teams go the route that OKC is going. Doing what they can to be competitive, sell of players they develop for draft picks, and hope you get lucky. I think this is the same thing we're doing now and I don't think it's tanking. It's more just threading water and as our GM has said, being flexible. So hey, if the Twolves get desperate and want to trade a top 5 protected pick to us for Gordon/Tucker, you're there for it...if Ja Morant hates Memphis and demands to get traded and we're on the list...you're there with assets for it too. I've been saying there is no need for a tankathon, that's my thing, we can still finish like 8th worst and get lucky or we can finish the worst team and get unlucky...which is doubly unlucky for us because if we just drafted 5th we'd just shrug and make the best of it but if we land at 5 now well then OKC gets the pink.
The thing about OKC is they have become a defensive team after Scott Brooks left who isn't really a defensive coach....... Not everyone can do what OKC does, lol. Defense wins you games, even if that's just an average defensive effort, you can see that now, even with no real superstar just yet. They hang their hats on Defense, and they are proud of it. The Rockets struggled with inconsistent Defense for the most part of the Harden era....they had some good defenses too.
I know I said this in the bulls game but I will say it again. Boogie and Mac should not be on the floor at the same time. Too many holes on defense. I am impressed however with the defense being so strong without PJ Tucker. Makes me feel much better that we can still be a good defensive team even if we trade him. (perhaps Tucker/Exum/picks for AG??) In addition, I would like for coach silas to consider at times going small for certain parts of the game like when the team played the kings and obivousy that helped us win the game. I think our defense can elevate if we see a lineup of Oladipo, Gordon, Brown, Nwaba, and Tate. And add Tucker to the mix. We have some elite defensive players, i think we should maximize them when CWood is getting rest on the bench. I know its frustrating but I still see some really good flashes of the team coming back on multiple double digit leads against the Bulls and Suns while playing rookies and guys who don't even know the offense. Plus having 9 new line ups in the 13 games. Its tough but I think we can breakthrough.
This team had a hard start in the season with all the harden stuff swirling around. we never had all our guys together. silas played nearly every game another starting 5. are we a contender ...hell no. are the playoffs possible...of course. cousins and mclemore are bad at the moment. dipo is new, wall, cousins, tate, wood...so many new guys. they need time to develop and time to play as a team. Our BC with wall and dipo/EG could be very good. also our wings with tate, tucker, house. Biggest concern is our Center position on the defensiv end.
Haha I hate to break it to you but this Rockets team making the playoffs is as likely as John Wall playing more than half the games until the end of the season.
The positioning and half court sets are terrible.It’s isolation plays or three point shots. What happend to his so called motion offense. The rest of the time we score of broken plays. Some of it is lack of it talent but bad coaching as well. Not even going to get his head scratching rotations
Silas rotation made no sense. He put a trash lineup out there in the fourth quarter for too long and that was the game.
new players - injuries - no training camp / practice time Victor hasn’t even had 3 practices so Ofcourse all he running is PnR and Iso Gordon runs a lot of ISO
What the hell is Silas doing with the rotations? Most pivotal moment of the game start of the 4th, and he trots out all reserves? Get a starter or two in there, geez. Just killed our momentum.
Go somewhere else then, why subject yourself to this torture? What Brooklyn's excuse? They lost to the Cavaliers lol. We are rebuilding.
