Tank-O-Meter...2015 edition

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

Great News with the Knicks win. Hope the Knicks can win their next game too. :)

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I don't care if we win another game the rest of the season. Sounds shitty, I know, but I'd love nothing more than to guarantee ourselves a top-four pick. This season's been a disaster, but it can be justified with a top-four pick.

PS: While I love Towns, as you all know, I would be THRILLED to add one of Okafor/Russell/Mudiay to this team.

[TheGrey08]

Well with 16 games left we would have to win at the very least 8 games in order to end up 5th. That's with Orlando losing out which I don't see happening. Realistically I think they'll win a couple more at least so we would have to win 10+. So at least there's that.

I'm not sure we have much of a shot at the #1 pre lotto slot, but the Sixers & Lakers may fight enough to keep us in the 2nd slot which would be nice.

It's going to be a Wild ride between now, the lotto and draft night when I'd be surprised if there isn't any wheeling and dealing.

[Mstermisty [enjin:6864008]]

Some other lottery numbers to consider:

The team with the worst record has a 63% of getting a top 3 pick.
The team with the 4th worst record has a 38% chance of getting a top 3 pick.

So it breaks down like this:

Scenario A) If we tank the season out and finish worst, we would have a nearly 2 out of 3 chance of picking top 3, while guaranteeing picking 4th at worst.

Scenario B) If we win some meaningless games and pass the Knicks, Philly, and Lakers, we would have little better than a 1 out of 3 chance of picking top 3, AND, if we don't get that top 3 pick, NY, Philly, and LA would ALL need to get in the top 3 for us not to move even further down to 5th, etc.

This said it's time to move on to the "Tank Bowl" in New York tomorrow night. Just lose baby!

[TAFKASP]

I don't care if we win another game the rest of the season. Sounds shitty, I know, but I'd love nothing more than to guarantee ourselves a top-four pick. This season's been a disaster, but it can be justified with a top-four pick.

PS: While I love Towns, as you all know, I would be THRILLED to add one of Okafor/Russell/Mudiay to this team.

Or completed with three teams jumping over the Wolves and moving them to low to get a valuable piece.

[Lipoli390]

Right now, I see the Wolves winning 5 of their remaining games and ending up with 19 wins. I see the Knicks winning no more than 3 of their remaining games, so I'd be surprised if the Wolves ended up with the worst record. We should hope the Lakers win 3 more so our Wolves can at least finish no better than 3rd worst. The Sixers are playing well now, but they have a pretty tough schedule the rest of the way. Let's hope they can win at least 3 if not 4 more games so we can lay claim to no better than a tie for the second worst record.

I agree with Cam and others that it's all about the ping pong balls from this point forward. Whether we win or how well we play has no value. Im not advocating that we try to lose games. What we should do is give the vast majority of playing time to the young guys - Wiggins, Payne, Dieng, AB ( when/if he returns from his injury), LaVine and Brown. The primary purpose is the further their development. A byproduct would be a lot of losses. And if those young guys surprise us with more wins than expected and lead us out of the bottom 3 or 4, then at least we can take some comfort in the promise of our young talent.

The worst thing of all would be winning games based on the play of Martin, Neal, Pek or Budinger. None of those three are realistically a part of this team's future when Wiggins and LaVine begin to reach their potential in 3 years.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Lip, I agree with you on the Wolves winning 5 more and finishing with 19, but I see the Knicks winning 4 more and finishing with 18 wins...Wolves, Nets. Sixers and Pistons. And any team that can beat the Spurs can certainly win one or more unexpected games. They're playing loose and hungry right now, and still have a decent chance of passing our tired Wolves.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I don't know if I can remember ever being unhappier after a Wolves win...sad state of affairs. I didn't watch the game, but read about the surprising result this morning. I'd like to be happy about our young guys leading a depleted roster to a road win in their 4th game in 5 nights, but come on...it's the Knicks. and wins just don't help us right now.

And a win over the Knicks is a double loss, as it moves us up one and them down one in projected wins. We are now tied with the Lakers for the 3rd seed:

Knicks: 17
Sixers 19
Wolves 20
Lakers 20

[TheGrey08]

I was really hoping for a loss last night b/c we play them again at home and I don't see that one ending in a loss, but you never know. You only see the Lakers winning 3 more games?

They have the Sixers twice, Wolves twice, Kings twice, Nuggets once, Nets once. They have a decent chance each of those games. I think they can win 4 of them.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I was really hoping for a loss last night b/c we play them again at home and I don't see that one ending in a loss, but you never know. You only see the Lakers winning 3 more games?

They have the Sixers twice, Wolves twice, Kings twice, Nuggets once, Nets once. They have a decent chance each of those games. I think they can win 4 of them.

Good analysis, grey, and you might be right. But the TOM has them splitting the three series with the Wolves, Sixers and Kings, and losing on the road in Brooklyn and Denver...hence the 3 wins/

The Lakers took care of business at home last night against Philly, so no change in either of their projected win totals. But the Wolves lost a winnable game at home against Charlotte and drop one win...moves them ahead of the Lakers and back into a tie with Philly for second.

NY 17
Wolves 19
Philly 20
LA 21