Forget our playoff chances -- no real fan should ever root for their team to tank

I wouldn't mind drafting Murray and Markkanen back to back and seeing what our coaching staff can get out of them.

Also the bolded were pieces in major trades, so there's the asset aspect of it to. Also we currently have a blue chip player in Woods.

 

which is why i contend that tanking by design is a wildly flawed concept...

Injuries happen and things dont always go according to plan... there are many downfalls that can lead a team to bottom dweller status... if that happens and the season is lost already so you decide to give more burn to young uns to develop them and try to put less miles on your vets - knowing full well its gonna cost you wins - fine... but i dont believe in purposefully tanking away a season from the outset for the crapshoot chance at high draft pick that may or may not develop...

I like our team. I think we have many guys with tremendous upside. Do I think we're a championship squad right now? no... but i think we're already on the right track...

 

Its not though, it works. Especially with good management.

That's literally with any player ever. That's fine that you dont agree. But you can just give the ball to Cousins and Wall more and we'll be a okay. Also trade Gordon, Tucker and Oladipo.

That's fine. But .....all of our guys arent young, I just want to let you know that. Woods is 25, Tate is 25, Nwaba is 28, House is 28. The only young guys we have are Brown(whos only signed for one year) and Mason Jones(whos not playing). So if you think we are on the right track, than somehow we would have to get a top 10 player on this team. I dont see any way.

 

I am interested to know what tankers imagine would happen if all the teams that 'wont win it this year' would tank
imho we wouldnt have the nba at all
theres no games if other side is just letting you score at will

 

Tanking only works when you have a good GM or get lucky in the lottery.

You can end up like Philly, best record in the East or Knicks, mediocre for years on end.

If our ultimate goal is to be like the Post-Duncan Spurs (never a title contender but will still make playoffs every season) then I'd say we're well on our way.

The only way we get back to title contention if we're not tanking is if Stone makes a Harden trade and those only happen once in decade.

 

If I'm giving up on a pretty decent team early in the season because they lack superstars and I am rooting for them to lose as many games as possible, then I couldn't call myself a fan. Maybe it's a distinction between being a fan of the Rockets as a franchise versus a fan of the team they have put forward in the 2020/2021 season.

 

Was Clutch not a fan when he wrote this?

"To close the 2001-2002 season, the Rockets lost 15 of their final 18 games, setting themselves up to get Yao. Be honest -- you probably didn't remember it was that bad. All that you really remember is that we got Yao. You don't remember the games, what lessons were learned, what "winning culture" was implemented, what Rocket players or coaches are still left on the team.

Just Yao." -Clutch

If this team had any legitimate shot at winning a title or had a player that we can could call a face of the franchise, I would root for them to win. They do not. So I root for ways my team can get a title contender. I dont even attack anyone that doesnt want tanking, I just give my opinion. Woods is 25, Tate is 25, Nwaba is 28, House is 28 and these guys are all here for 2-3 years, that's it. The one guy I want to play(Mason Jones) doesnt get to play. Can you get a franchise piece within that timeframe for this to matter? Maybe if you tank. Maybe some crazy trade happens(I doubt it). But otherwise, the talents of these guys go to waste. Oladipo is gone and if he''s not gone, then thats's bad because resining him is not a smart play nor do I think he really wants to be here. Tucker is also gone. Gordon, he's likely gone either this year or next year. And Brown is also leaving in one year. I

This team has a shot at the 7-8th seed, but realistically, there is nothing to grow from that point as the team will likely not be able to compete for a championship in the next 2-3 years either(would love to be proven wrong).

And Imma a fan of titles and Im a fan of players/coaches/managers who will be here for those titles or contending for them. Im loyal to players who have brought the Rockets success(Tucker, Cp3, Gordon, Harden, Ariza, Morey, Capela, Rudy T, Hakeem, Cassel, Mad Max, Sampson.

TLDR: Yes I can call myself a fan, and I find it rude for you to indirectly tell me Im not man. There are plenty of fans out there who root for their team to tank and are still rooting for their team when they have drafted franchise players.

 

Coaches and players don’t play to lose. There’s is no reason to have a bad culture just because your team is made young and/or temporarily depleted by the GM.

You know what’s good culture? Players - who understand the organizational need to rebuild - doing their best on the court and having the will to win in all circumstances. That will serve them well when we have a superstar again and we don’t want him to do everything and be useless without him.

 

And there is nothing wrong with that. I also feel I have a strong case as well. I respect your opinion.

 

He’s always talked about how you should either be a contender or go for the 1st pick, because being stuck in the middle is the worst. It’s also logical and he’s not a dummy

 

I don’t think I said anything about you. I was speaking for myself. If I wanted this team to tank, I doubt I’d even be paying all that much attention to this season.

And what I wrote doesn’t apply to the end of that season. I doubt Clutch was rooting for the team to lose games near the beginning of that year.

I also said one could draw a distinction between two different types of fans. You are interested in the bigger picture. Alright. Some of us care about that, but are also emotionally invested in the success of the team this season and are unwilling to possibly give up prematurely on what this team can become.

 

so every year like only 3-4 teams should try to win games and other 26-27 teams should just lose on purpose?

that doesnt make any sense and if it becomes tru then the league ie the competition ceases to exist
it takes 2 to tango and you cannot have a league with 4 teams only

its not even basketball if youre trying to lose....it could be another sport just like me and my gf competing whose gonna ride the bike slower and come last

 

That's pretty much what goes on now. Teams without superstars and a road to a title usually trade away their veterans and go for youth. Teams with stars rest players they normally wouldn't when they realize their season is over.

Tanking isn't really about trying to lose games as much as it's trying to accumulate assets to get a superstar. If people are saying trade Wood so we can lose they are idiots. But trading our veterans for assets and planning for the future is probably the best plan.