http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/38896/pity-the-fighters Just saw this, it's a pretty good regarding today's trade between the Rockets and the Blazers. It's mostly about Portland so I posted it in the dish but there are a lot of nice points made about the Rockets, calling us hard working and mentions how we are doing things the right way.
Portland is doing things the "right way." Honestly though, I'd rather watch us win and make the playoffs and be pleasantly surprised. I have always said that we have our young guys who can develop. If we tank, we still have to wait for our draft picks to develop. We have guys including Dragic, lee, lowry, parsons, bud, patterson, montiejunas, smith, morris. All of these guys can develop into something. If we "tank" we will just have a set of new guys who would have to develop. I'm fine with what houston is doing now. get the young guys some playoff experience so they can handle it when they are fully developed
championship? tough one. I'll say us because I'll take the potential of our young guys over theirs. We already know what kind of player LMA is, and that alone isn't going to win them anything. If donuts, parsons, patterson, lowry, and lee all develop together I can see us having a shot. but tickets? tickets? them. definitely them.
The question raised by Henry here is not whether tanking is a viable or even smart strategy under the current system. The question is whether the NBA should maintain the current system, which gives great incentives to tank. I agree with him that the answer is "no." The league needs to stop subsidizing the bad teams and start encouraging teams to compete, because competition is what sports sell.
Maybe the Rockets should have tried trading for Aldridge. That would help the Blazers more with their tanking strategy.
Nice article, thanks for posting. If Portland wants to really tank, I'm sure Morey would gladly take Aldridge off their hands...
The NBA kinda has it hands tied. Superstar determine championships. It appears superstars want to go to certain markets. The only other method is to get lucky in the draft, which tanking gives you the best chance to win. I would make the lottery a true lottery, include teams that go out in the first round. Effectively a 22 team lottery where everybody has an equal shot. This will give teams zero incentive to tank. Win as many games as possible and hope you get lucky. This way a team like the rockets doesn't get punished for competing.
The problem with any ideas for fixing the draft situation is how do the terrible teams improve? Look at the hornets from this year. Would anyone say that they are "tanking"? I wouldn't. They have been in a lot of hard fought close games this season (including the overtime games against us and most recently against the lakers). They wanted to win, they tried, they just don't have the talent. They will be "rewarded" this year with a high draft pick, but its because of their record, not how hard they fought. Coincidentally, they deserve a high draft pick in both the current system and any new proposed system, but they wouldn't be rewarded for it in a new system because their record is bad. And if they never get a good draft pick then, barring smart trades and free agent signings, they will remain bad. I'm using this years hornets because they were the first bad record team that plays hard that I could think of but I'm just trying to make a general point (you could obviously argue that eric gordon being injured has a lot to do with it and their record would be better if he were healthy..but... ahh...) I dont know what I'm saying anymore. I'm hungry and falling asleep at work so please ignore me haha
Nice read. I really hope the trade would benefit Portland. Hoping for the best competition for both teams.
I think I might like a 22 team true and equal lottery for the first ten spots in the draft, but then picks 11-30 go to the other teams in order of finish, not reverse order. World champions get pick #11, runners-up get #12, etc. But we'd have to have an honest commisioner. No bent envelopes, etc.
To stop tanking, they should give the most lottery balls to the best team who doesn't make the playoffs. After pick 14, they should go in reverse order for playoff teams and give the best team the lowest pick etc
It's a bad idea because then teams can so easily get stuck in Bobcat-land and NEVER get out. I definitely think they should make tanking riskier business though. There should be a legit chance that you drop to the back of the lottery even if you're the #1 pick. As it stands your lowest possible pick is three picks behind your seed. Spread that sh** out more, give back end lottery teams a better chance to win the lottery and high lottery teams a worse chance + a greater chance to fall farther in the draft.
The system definitely rewards tanking and punishes hard working competitiveness. I have no answer for it, but it has got to be changed. I am tired of it.
Tanking is a multi-year rebuilding process. With no guarantee that your draft pick is going to be a superstar. Hell, even getting superstars is no guarantee that you are going to win a championship (see NY, LA, Miami, etc.) We now have an interesting real world scientific project to watch: Portland vs. Houston Let's see who gets to the finals first...
JVG has stated this before and I wholeheartedly agree. You punish teams for barely missing the playoffs by...what? reducing their chances to get better and over the hump. Parity lies with a) rewarding losing by giving better odds to a franchise player and b) dumbass diva players who all want to go to big markets cities.
