Posted by Klytus:
Posted by TheGame:
If they string together 3-4 more wins, then this win over the Cavs would be a good thing. I am a firm believer in trying to win. We could have the worst record in the league and still get the 4th pick or we could bust our butt and fight out of this slump, just miss the playoffs and still get the 1st pick. The lottery makes everything a crapshoot, so we might as well try to get rid of this atmosphere of losing and try to get the team on the right track so that this is not just another wasted year.
You do not have good management skills. Being mediocre or in the middle of the worst thing to be in basketball. You're either very good or very bad. Nothing get's accomplished here with 38 wins and an 8th seed. Getting swept by Boston and losing every game by 25 points is nothing to build on. I understand you're sick of losing and want to change the culture. I agree with that. But you're not going to accomplish this with THESE players. These players are losers. Do not be fooled.
Listen, I don't have any delusions that it is likely this team can make the playoffs. But I think that Lee, Balkman, Nate, and our other players have seen enough losing. If we only win 10 more games, so be it. But I would rather them win 10 more games trying to compete and win rather than simply tanking. You have too limited a view of a GM's options, which reflects on your own management skills. The biggest problem we have is that our players have low trade value right now. Lee is the only player with a high trade value. Crawford could probably be traded for close to equal value, but Curry would have to be sold short and Randolph would too primarily b/c of his contract. All of these guys have 2-4 more years on their deals. Now you could tank games and play the rookies, but you have now just killed any trade value these guys did have b/c every GM is going to lowball you.
Now if this group can turn things around and start winning games and god forbid actually make the playoffs (and make a strong showing in a playoff series), other GMs would start to have more interest in some of our guys. We have more talented players from 1 to 15 than just about any other team in the league, which means we have the pieces to put together some decent trade packages for future picks or veteran players better suited for our team. We just have to change the perception of our players. So, I don't advocate a strategy of tanking games because our young people need to learn how to win.
I could see if getting the #1 pick were guaranteed, but ask Memphis and Boston how well tanking works for getting the #1 pick and this year's draft is not deep, so unless you get a top-3 pick, you are really in a crapshoot as to whether you are getting someone who can actually contribute. It should not be forgotten that Orlando got the number 1# pick a few years ago after busting their butt to do everything they could to get into the playoffs, so it is not like you preclude yourself from getting the #1 pick if you try to have a successful season.
