NBA GMs comments on deliberate tanking

[Jody23]

This was an interesting read. I wonder who this was? Here's the link to the articlehttp://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=9893551&src=desktopThis story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Nov. 11 College Basketball preview. Subscribe today!OUR TEAM ISN'T good enough to win and we know it. So this season we want to develop and evaluate our young players, let them learn from their mistakes -- and get us in position to grab a great player. The best way for us to do that is to lose a lot of games. This draft is loaded. There are potential All-Stars at the top, maybe even franchise changers. Sometimes my job is to understand the value of losing.I know that sounds crazy, but if you're an NBA general manager like me, the last place you want to be is in the middle. There are only two outcomes there: Either make the playoffs and be first-round fodder for one of the premier teams or miss the playoffs and pick somewhere around 11th to 14th in the draft. Either way, the odds are that you stay in that middle range. It's a recipe for disaster.You need superstars to compete in this league, and the playing field for those guys is tilted toward a few big-market teams. They are demanding trades and getting together and deciding where they want to go in free agency. It's tough for us to compete with that. So a high lottery pick is all we have.How do you pull it off? First, you talk it over with ownership. I analyzed the team and told them what I wanted to do, the guys I wanted to get rid of and the guys with future value whom we wanted to keep. We obviously traded away some of our veteran guys who gave us a better chance of winning right now for future draft picks and young players. The owners didn't want to tread water any more than I did. They'd rather go down to the bottom with the hope of coming up, so they signed off on it. It wasn't a fight at all. In a different season, it might not make sense, but this draft certainly makes it more appealing.Our coach understands that too. It's no secret what we're trying to do, and you can't lie to him anyway or you'll lose all trust. We never really had to tell him, because the handwriting is on the wall. He knows exactly what's going on, and he's good with it. What's hard is keeping it from the players. If you took a poll in all 30 locker rooms, regardless of how the roster looks, I bet they'd all say they are a playoff team. That's good, because you want them to play with effort and lose organically. You never tell the players not to try to win a game, but it's obvious that you're putting out a team that's just not good enough to win.We're not alone. Look at the 76ers. Since the draft in June, I don't think they've signed a player or made a trade to add a legitimate player. A bunch of us realize that our teams aren't good enough talentwise to do anything. You're going to be bad. There's no way around it. And even if you finish 0-82, there's still a 75 percent chance you don't get the No. 1 pick. We're just going to take our lumps and hope our number gets called.

[Bonkers]

I know that sounds crazy, but if you're an NBA general manager like me, the last place you want to be is in the middle. There are only two outcomes there: Either make the playoffs and be first-round fodder for one of the premier teams or miss the playoffs and pick somewhere around 11th to 14th in the draft. Either way, the odds are that you stay in that middle range. It's a recipe for disaster.

EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING!!!

It only makes sense. I just pray we are not in the middle

[yungsta]

My guess would be the jazz gm. They have alot of young players, they let go of their veteran players, and it is clear they are tanking once they took on the contracts of richard jefferson and biendrins for picks.

They been in the middle for the past 2 years so they understand it was time for a rebuild. That is smart. Better than what we are trying to do which is stay in the middle.

Edited October 29, 2013 by yungsta

[Guest Zone]

He described this Atlanta Hawks team to a T. The fact that some Atlanta Hawks fans actually prefer to be in basketball hell is something I'll never understand. And that sounds like McDonough, the Suns GM. His moves this offseason fits his talking points.

[MaceCase]

Meh, given the amount of money the Hawks lost even while winning, it was hard to fathom the ASG signing off on a tank. They aren't billionaire's like Joshua Harris willing and capable of footing the bill from a lost season and Atlanta isn't a market like Salt Lake City where fans will pack in to see a crap product regardless because there's nothing else to compete for their entertainment dollars.

[macdaddy]

I was feeling like it was PHX too. But not every gm subscribes to this though. Look at the number of teams in the east that made big efforts to get better. Tanking is an easy decision when you have no good players and you already suck. Its harder when you've got some players who have no interest in busting their butt for no reason.

[DrReality]

With so much attention on it u gottaThink the league will be watching

[lethalweapon3]

My first hunch was the Sixers until at the end where he states, "Look at the Sixers..."

With the emphasis on "young players," and referring to the big-markets as "they," I was guessing Rich Cho, probably with His Errness looking over his shoulder. Then again, after getting Biyombo'd every year you'd think they'd learn by now. "Traded away some of our veteran guys," doesn't seem to fit Charlotte, either. Or Utah. So I'm now figuring it's probably Phoenix like the rest of us... in which case, why even bother being anonymous?

~lw3

[ATLSmith]

Whatever. This GM couldn't make the moves to make the team better. The Rockets were a middle of the row team and their GM managed to make them relevant again. What superstars have the Kicks and Nets drafted in recent history? Nobody. They built the team through free agency and some decent draft picks.

Tanking is a crap shoot. You're basically gambling on the next superstar and may not get it. What does this GM do when he doesn't win the lottery and still doesn't have the skills to build the team up? What happens if he drafts a superstar that leaves in free agency because he still couldn't build a decent team to support them? I'll tell you what. He tanks again, creates a loosing mentality within the franchise, and destroys the fan base.

No thank you. That's not what I'd want from a GM.

[Bonkers]

Whatever. This GM couldn't make the moves to make the team better. The Rockets were a middle of the row team and their GM managed to make them relevant again. What superstars have the Kicks and Nets drafted in recent history? Nobody. They built the team through free agency and some decent draft picks.

Tanking is a crap shoot. You're basically gambling on the next superstar and may not get it. What does this GM do when he doesn't win the lottery and still doesn't have the skills to build the team up? What happens if he drafts a superstar that leaves in free agency because he still couldn't build a decent team to support them? I'll tell you what. He tanks again, creates a loosing mentality within the franchise, and destroys the fan base.

No thank you. That's not what I'd want from a GM.

But the Rockets are a place FA wanna go to (ie. Howard)

No one wants to come to the Hawks so to get a future superstar we HAVE to get him thru the draft. There is NO other choice

[taz]

That's just not true. If Dwight's parents were from and lived in Houston he would've gone there. Free agents clearly do want to come here look at Paul Milsap

[taz]

And Lou Williams that dude could've gone to plenty of other teams

[Bonkers]

That's just not true. If Dwight's parents were from and lived in Houston he would've gone there. Free agents clearly do want to come here look at Paul Milsap

Ok I meant to say SUPERSTARS

[taz]

And lets not forget we were the plan for Paul and Dwight had the clippers not traded for Doc Rivers

Ok I meant to say SUPERSTARS

How many super star free agents have there been in the last five to ten years? Two?

[taz]

Note I'm fine with tanking esp in this draft but to think we can't attract free agents is just idiotic esp if the gold club ever reopened

[Bonkers]

Note I'm fine with tanking esp in this draft but to think we can't attract free agents is just idiotic esp if the gold club ever reopened

LOL u must not know a few years ago an anonymous player said about ATL that players love to party there but never think to play there

I wish I could find it

Edited October 29, 2013 by Bonkers

[taz]

That was then this is now the new CBA has changed everything brother

[Bonkers]

That was then this is now the new CBA has changed everything brother

If u say so

[taz]

And besides Lebron and D12 who is this mega superstar free agent?

[Guest]

Dwight had no initial interest in Houston before he got traded from Orlando - he changed his mind after the LA dibacle and Houston had James Harden on board.Houston did not acquire James Harden by drafting nor free agency - he was traded.We had NO shot at Paul - on Cowherd's show yesterday he was asked, his response: 'never thought about seriously leaving LAC - they have been good to him since he got there.'