More than you think. A lot of their success is due to tanking and getting Duncan. Ginobli and Parker are likely better and more experienced players because of all the success they had back when Duncan was the best or second best player in basketball.
But Duncan is the key. Always has been, always will be. If he leaves for Orlando in 2000, San Antonio would have one lockout ring, and a core of good but not great players. Timmy's leadership has been always underrated because he wasn't punching people out like Jordan/Bird, but so much of what the Spurs are able to do is because of having one of the 10 greatest players of all time being the calming influence in the locker, combined with a killer instinct. I guarantee you, if Marcus Morris was on the Spurs this year instead of Leonard, he'd be shooting 45% from 3, and make the rookie team.
Alot of it. Without tanking, they don't get Duncan. Then the entire Spurs' drafting strategy changes.
If the rockets tanked all the way down to number one I'm sure the rockets would end up with the 4th pick. Tanking is not the answer cuz the lotto is rigged and the nba doesnt even try to hide it.
Isnt the ping pong ball thing done in a super secret room that nobody is allowed to see? So they can choose anyone they want.
Therein lies the difficulty with the tanking strategy. The worst team in NBA history is now stuck with the number two pick in the draft. Their poor fans not only had to sit through unwatchable seasons, but now they are assured of at least one more. Even getting a superstar hasn't produced results for the Clippers or New York. And they got real superstars. Not the Bosh or Gasol we go after. If building a championship team were easy the Lakers would not be sitting at home right now. I like what the Pacers have been up to. They face a lot of the same challenges as the Rockets and there have been similar strategies at play for improvement. I can see us walking the same path. With a little draft and free agent luck the strategy of trying to win does not necessarily mean a longer period of mediocrity vs the insufferable period of sucking to advance via tanking. As a player I would much rather play for the Rockets than the Bobcats as I would rather be with an organization that has a culture of winning as opposed to an organization that has refined the culture of losing to historic new lows.
The jokes on New Orleans. I happen to think Thomas Robinson will end up better. Stern only ended up messing up the Hornets ability to land a future star. I think Anthony Davis will end up a elite defender and really not a true star. Charlotte lucked out if they choose right.
Agreed with other's sentiments that even tanking and getting a high lotto pick and making the correct pick doesn't mean anything. The Kings really can't build around Tyreke or Cousins and those were two decent picks on talent at the top of the draft. Same with John Wall - nice player and good pickup from the Wiz but that guy is never going to be the leader on a Finals team. Those teams are all still somewhat middling so why bother tanking if you have no control of your pick, how deep the draft class is for you, or the continued health or future development of your pick. Even a "success" story like OKC hinged on Portland being stupid enough to pass on the sure thing in Kevin Durant. If Oden where a Thunder player right now, they would have been maybe a 6 or 7 seed.
Stuck with? Do you realize we couldn't trade anyone on our roster for the #2 pick in this draft? Or maybe not even the #6 pick, which Portland acquired by doing what we should have done. Tonight isn't the night to say tanking doesn't work.
Yes, stuck with. Their reward for being the worst team in NBA history is pick number two. Who do you select?
Also - Icehouse Never did I say tanking doesn't work. I said it fosters a losing mentality and is not the sure bet that people on this board (starting at the top) seem to suggest it is. The prevailing notion that being a bad team is going to make you better is not a given. Ask Portland. Or the Bobcats in a couple of years.
truly agree. I don't get why people on this board are obsessed with grabbing a "superstar" that can't even help the nets be awful and disregard the fact that if our gogi was on the nets, jacked up as many shots, along with the minutes, he would have had better numbers than Deron. there is a reason why gms and owners who attend Sloan conferences one a piece of the slovenian slasher. Now the question is...wher the heck do we find this all star center! we need him asap.
Morey has the chance to do exactly what a team that was tanking can. Acquire lottery talent to rebuild with. With the right moves, he could come out of this draft with some pretty good players.
Those kids are like 12 years old. 2nd time making the playoffs. Wait until they get a couple of years under the belt before comparing them to an experienced team
I have been open to this from the get go. There is no better time to rebuild than next month. Throw every trade you have towards this draft. There are stars outside of the lottery. It is up to good scouting to find them.
You serious? How about 12 more prospects they can pass on at this point compare to Rockets, the team that is really stuck with 14th pick, for 3 years. Who are we to laugh at other teams?
