All that kid needs is a jumper and he's a solid starter right now in the NBA. Labisierre and Bender look good, but probably not impact guys their first year.
You forgot one GIANT GIANT fact...Jerry West joined the Warriors in 2011. Boom! *Drops mic, walks away* *comes back* Look, we all want the same thing, we want championships. Nothing else matters. Mitch is Jerry's protege. I believe in our FO's ability to draft. I want them to have the chance to do it. You say 40-50% odds to keep the pick, I'll take that.
I mean at this point I will too because it's clear we're not going to win many games, but I absolutely will not count on the pick so I won't purposely tank anything. I'd much, much rather the team be .500 from here on out than lose 60 more games. I want to see progress from the young ones that inspires some interest from free agents. It's just a better way to go than trying to tank for bad odds. Of course at the end of the year I'll be watching the lottery and hoping, but I find it unlikely we are helped out this time around and I certainly won't count on it. I'd rather count on are market getting us a nice FA. Also I didn't forget about West joining, it just doesn't change the situation really. They still stunk for a long, long, long time before he got there. Are we willing to go more than a decade without a playoff appearance?
So I'm just going to say this now, if our coach insists on playing Bass at center every single game then there can be little doubt that we are trying to tank on purpose. That's not even stealthy - it's a straight out way to ensure that we lose. Byron can't possibly watch film back and think that playing Bass at center is making the team better. So until I actually see him stop playing him at the 5 I won't believe that we are trying to win games. The tank is on full force. Sad, really. If they are going to tank then I'd like to see the kids play as much as possible: 35 minutes each.
I don't agree actually, I think B0ron is really that stupid and stubborn. He was the same way last season with some of his lineups, he refused to play Black and Clarkson then even though they deserved time. We aren't tanking, but under this coach all season we are bad enough to be a bottom 3 team. I still don't think we get our pick back, but it looks like we are going to have a chance, even if a 50/50 or 40/60 one. Not rooting for tanking, we just suck and look even worse than last season, and we are fully HEALTHY right now.
Maybe you're right Weezy but it's hard to imagine anyone would be this stupid. I mean the guy actually watches the tape. Every time Bass is in we are just horrendous. I'm just finding it easier to believe that he's doing this on purpose than that he's that dumb or delusional. I mean, no one who has played basketball would think or say that Bass at the 5 is a recipe for success. And the FO brought the guy here. I don't see them straightening Byron out. That means they must be down for the tank as well.
I really do wonder what the FO is thinking and doing right now. Fans are calling for B0ron's head, the media is tearing him apart, and they haven't come out and said one word in support of him. I do think B0ron is stupid enough to think Bass at the 5 is smart. I say that because this is a guy who thought, way back before the losing, that starting the season using Bass AND Kelly together as backups was smart. Then he got sensible for a few game and used Black, but then he went back to being himself again. I refuse to believe B0ron is tanking, but I do have to wonder if when the FO saw how bad we were after so many games, they decided to just ride this and stealth tank without informing our coach. The only other explanation is that they are delusional and think this will get better, or are too embarrassed of how they will look firing another coach so soon. Otherwise they are doing nothing to stop this bleeding, they aren't taking into consideration the damage being done to our young players and franchise, and I really don't get it.
That's what I'm saying Weezy. Either he is being told to tank, or maybe, maybe he's this stupid, but then they are seemingly fine with all of it. So in other words . . . until either Byron starts acting like he's trying to win or the FO does something to encourage winning, I can only surmise that we are in fact tanking.
I just have a very hard time accepting that our FO would risk our young players' development, risk making the franchise look historically bad, for a very slim chance at keeping our pick. The rewards aren't worth the crazy high risk to me. I feel like them being delusional or feeling stuck are more likely. I guess it's possible that after we started to look horrorible and it became apparent that Kobe isn't Kobe anymore that they felt stuck and decided to clam up and give B0ron the full season, but it doesn't make any sense to me. I can't get into the FO's head right now.
At this point there's a few things that are clear: 1. Byron is the worst coach in basketball. 2. The FO absolutely must know and understand this. 3. They're not making a change which means we're going to keep losing. Therefore... the tank is on. Whether we like it or not and to hell with the odds being against us. The only thing that makes sense is the FO is willing to ride out the tank again this year because otherwise they'd have put the squeeze on Scott at some point. They would have forced more reasonable lineups, more thought out rotations, etc. They would have said or done something. The stealth tank is not so stealthy anymore. We're just going to stink and hope for another high pick even with the odds not being in our favor.
After last night, I agree. There is no way the team can be doing anything but tanking at this point. My only hope is that Ryan West and Jeanie pull Russell, Clarkson and Randle aside and tell them of the plan so you don't destroy their development. All you have to do is tell the 3 of them that next season there will be LOTS of changes and then slowly glance over at Byron and Kobe...then slowly nod their heads with a smile.
I think the FO is stealth tanking....but Byron is not. Byron actually is trying to win, and he is dumb enough to think that his rotations and lineups gives us the best chance to win. When we lose, Byron blames it on the young guys. Does that sound like a coach that knows we are tanking? He wants to bench our young guys....and he's done it too. Byron is trying to win....but the FO knows he's that bad and he actually gives them the best chance at tanking without really tanking and potentially keeping the pick. smh
I posted this in the Randle thread, but it applies here too. This is exactly why Byron needs to go. The rotations, the wins and losses...those are all secondary. Russell and Randle are kids. And like all kids, they are still being molded into the men they will one day become. These two could be the second coming of Larry Johnson and Steve Nash, but they will end up being Derek Williams and Kendall Marshall because they have ZERO leadership coming from their coach and Kobe.
^ that seals it, im on the Simmons wagon. Watch out Philly, you may be the worst team in basketball... but we have Boron and we're not afraid to use him.
