This year we saw almost 8 teams actively tanking games to try to get draft picks. The league knows its a problem and has a rule change upcoming to make the bottom 3 teams have the same odds for the #1 pick. My feeling is, after what everyone witnessed in the GS/HOU series, MORE teams tank next year rather than less. The rest of the league saw the champs (who went 16-1 in the playoffs last year) get GIFTED games 6 and 7 to make sure their dominance and allure stick. With the Rocket's plan to build a roster with the sole purpose of taking out the Warriors, seeing it come to fruition, and then the league totally squashing it in front everyone on the grandest of stages with targeted officiating--why even try? I think CP will be back, but we don't know for sure. What if LeBron wants him to go to LA with him? You just never know. And with Ryno's contract strapping the salary cap down, maybe even our team should start preparing for a few years down the road when the Warriors aren't at their peak anymore. It hurts me so much to even think that, but after this series? I wouldn't blame them. We outplayed them and the league made sure it still wasn't enough. If I'm ANY other team (besides maybe Boston), I'm looking to build for the future even if I have a star player. That one cheat year in the salary cap allowed KD to break the league and now snakes get crowns... AND zebra backup.
The Warriors are unfair. Warrior fans need to thank Houston because I see many of them are going "See! We can be beat! Everyone is complaining about us but look what the Rockets did!" While I appreciate the respect... people don't realize how hard it is to do what we did and really...how far every other team not named the Rockets are from competing with the Warriors. No other team in the west even has a shot at it basically. Your best bet is to tank and collect all-stars...even then you have to keep them happy and paid. Will be hard finding superstar players willing to turn down 50 million to chase rings in the prime of their career. Most superstar players think they can do it on their own, that's why they are so good. No one expected Cupcake to do what he did, but he did it, now the rest of the NBA has to pay for it I guess.
It's the right way to rebuild but not everyone will get the stars, some get busts. About Chris He has the right to go anywhere he wants. This Playoffs he witnessed flashes of brilliance from James Harden but he could also witness that Durant and Lebron were better performers. Durant was better in the first 2 rounds, it was kind of a wash this series.
