monsterpile wrote:I think the Pels and the Lakers should be feeing fortunate that the Nurkic injury happened (whether it's completely legit or tanking...) because before that the Blazers were rolling and Nurkic was ballin. Portland also has one of the easiest scheduled left (30) and the Lakers (2) one of the Hardest. It would have been interesting to see another team really going for that 7th 8th seed but right now it doesn't look likely.
I just read that the Blazers sat Josh Hart for "load management" in the last Wolves game despite playing in only 3 games over 9 days... and playing only 23 minutes before two full days off... leaving Portland with only 8 bodies vs. the Wolves.
Few franchises know all the different ways teams can tank... but Wolves fans should know exactly what to look for...
The Blazers are DEFINITELY tanking. And I'm pretty damn certain the decision with Nurkic is part of it.
monsterpile wrote:I think the Pels and the Lakers should be feeing fortunate that the Nurkic injury happened (whether it's completely legit or tanking...) because before that the Blazers were rolling and Nurkic was ballin. Portland also has one of the easiest scheduled left (30) and the Lakers (2) one of the Hardest. It would have been interesting to see another team really going for that 7th 8th seed but right now it doesn't look likely.
I just read that the Blazers sat Josh Hart for "load management" in the last Wolves game despite playing in only 3 games over 9 days... and playing only 23 minutes before two full days off... leaving Portland with only 8 bodies vs. the Wolves.
Few franchises know all the different ways teams can tank... but Wolves fans should know exactly what to look for...
The Blazers are DEFINITELY tanking. And I'm pretty damn certain the decision with Nurkic is part of it.
Anfrenee Simons is now "out" tonight
Ha. But the Trailblazers have Elijah Hughes and Greg Brown III returning!
1. It's nice to have the Wolves on the other side of this tanking stuff.
2. Unfortunately, it makes it tough to make up a ton of ground because other decent teams get the same advantages.
The Jazz are officially in the fray and the Warriors are not far off. Meanwhile the Wolves strength of schedule gets predictably tougher as they get through this softer part of the schedule.
Dallas is now projected 4th and probably out of reach with their schedule. Utah and Denver might be attainable if Wolves can keep churning out wins. It's should be an entertaining finish.
The Spurs loss yesterday put them out of reach to catch the Wolves so I removed them. Tomorrow's games could clinch the Wolves as a play-in with a win and a Blazers loss.
