Tank Tank Or Tank Tank Tank?

The team doesn't need to tank, they're bad already and have a crap attitude. They're going to lose plenty of games as it is. There's a line between trying to lose and trying to develop that the team will flirt with going forward. When it's all said and done we'll probably have a 33-ish percent chance of keeping the pick. Horrible odds so don't count on them.

 

I'm more concerned with the culture than the win totals. Tanking just sets us back years.

 

I'm not liking what's been happening lately. I think this team is the poster child of why extended tank mode and long periods of losing can do extensive damage to a team's culture. We have talent. We see it. The rest of the league sees it. But then we play solid and beat a decent Indiana team convincingly and then get absolutely demolished.

 

This. At what point and hopefully we haven't crossed it yet does our players lose total confidence in maybe someday being successful. I mean this will be Randle's and JC's 3rd straight losing season......

Re-reading what I just wrote, had me grinning a little because for most team's having only a period of 3-4 losing season's in a row would be a blessing. We're not familiar with this feeling, still....

 

Ball isn't even #1 on most drafts.

While I think the pick is most likely gone, it can also easily be retained because we will finish in the bottom 5 and lottery is a crap shoot. Chances of 1,2,3 going 1,2,3 like last year are so low, that at 4, 5 or 6 you can easily move up.

But sadly, once again we will have a max slot but no sane arguments for star players to sign with us because its still a complete toast team. Russell has made very little progress from last year and looks less likely to become a "superstar", Randle is still the same inconsistent enigma, Ingram a long time project, Clarkson has probably regressed...I just don't see why somebody would want that unless you throw cash at washed up guys like Deng or Mozgov.

 

Clarkson has regressed, no "probably" needed.

 

No question. And the age excuse doesn't even really work for him. He's 24 now, going on 25. He's proven he's a sixth man off the bench. He is not a starter in this league. And I've been saying that since year one. He just doesn't get it at all on defense, and he is prone to have disastrous shooting nights way too often to start.

 

But see that's not true. Even if we finish dead last, the BEST odds we can get is 64.2% to keep the pick. If we're second or third worst, it's slightly better than 50% we keep the pick. Those are horrible odds and the exact thing @abeer3 feared with handing the Sixers the 4th pick in the draft.

I still believe this team will go on a run eventually, albeit a small one. It'll hurt our odds at keeping the pick, but we'll at least see more of those flashes of "what if" in the kids again.

And yes Clarkson has regressed significantly. He's worse today than he was when he was drafted.

I think if we end up with a Top 3 pick you take Fultz, Ball, and then a toss up between Tatum and Jackson. I'm still looking into Dennis Smith, De'Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk.

 

From what I have seen of Ball, he takes control of the game and is unselfish. No airs, no "look at me" demeanor. A pass first player.