Thunder should tank

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Yeah, I'm not sure the Sixers will win more than 6 or 7 games this year. Just an unprecedented process of tearing a franchise down to the studs.

[WildWolf2813]

I have no problem with what Philly's doing and at the same time, I have no problem with what we're trying to do.

I don't blame the Sixers for doing it. Why? Because it might actually work. Look at the talent they have. All that will prevent it is injury from coming together. Unless you're a paying customer of the Sixers, I don't see why you should be upset (and many Philly fans are for this). Some teams like being a treadmill team. We'd kill to be what Philly used to be a couple of years ago. It wasn't good enough for them, so they went big or went home with the Bynum trade. They struck out big time and they're blowing it up. There's no incentive to being that directionless treadmill team. Look at the Atlanta Hawks. Talented, make the playoffs almost every year, but at best they win a round and you never take them seriously. Is that what you strive to be? No. You want better, and if that means tearing it down to the nuts and bolts to do it, godspeed.

That said, I'm glad we're not going that route (yet). It's easier to stomach doing this after a couple of years out of the playoffs. 10+ years out like us and I may throw in the towel as a fan. The wait wouldn't be worth it anymore. I think this franchise would be fine with just being a perennial playoff team. That won't sit well with Philly. They have higher aspirations long term. They just better hope it works.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Very well said, wildwolf. There's a lot of discussion about the definition of what Philly is doing, but the heart of it is that they are trying to do things to make their product the best it can be long-term, not trying to squeeze another 4-5 wins out of another hapless season. If I were to rank actions that teams have made (or that Cuban talked about) and ranked them from most despicable to least despicable, I would rank them like this:

1) Cuban's suggestion that a team sit healthy stars for the rest of the season to improve their draft position

2) Pop occasionally sitting his healthy stars. always on the road and never at home, in order to keep them fresh for the end of the season. It's a real FU to the opponent's fans who paid their money expecting to see the Spurs.

3) Asking Madsen to jack up 8 3's in the 4th quarter

4) What Philly is doing

[shahidi124 [enjin:6591729]]

All it takes is one Derrick Williams/Wes Johnson/Flynn type of pick and they just wasted a whole season. Their guys are getting PT and (probably) developing, but losing 70 games a season can take its toll on a players psyche. We talk so much about how we had a losing culture in Minny for so many years it wouldn't be easy to get out of. You thought that was bad? Try losing 60+ games 3, 4, 5 seasons in a row.

My memory is not serving me well, but are there examples of other teams that have surrounded their top picks with such incompetency to tank this hard? Guys don't develop well if they're losing AND don't have good mentors/veterans around them. And don't bring up the Luc/Embiid connection, the only thing Luc has done is be a top flight defender on losing teams throughout his career.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

A really dumb bookie offered me a chance to take the 76ers +52 points last night, so I jumped all over it...much bigger bet than I have ever made before, but I have never seen such a sure thing. MCW was supposed to return last night, and I'm certain he will have an immediate positive impact. And 52 points... it's a lead pipe cinch!

I haven't checked last night's scores yet, because I have been online trying to figure out what kind of new car I am going to buy with my winnings...

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

Is it worth it?

Noel- Looks like he'll just be an average starter so far. An above average defender, but no offense game whatsoever.

MCW- Doesn't look like a star. With how deep the PG position is, I doubt he ever becomes a top 15 point guard ever.

Emblid- He's had some MAJOR injury problems so far. Even if he does stay healthy, he was the most raw prospect in the draft, and now he lost a whole season of not being able to develop. It might be another 3-4 years from now before he's good.

Saric- Won't be here for another 2 seasons. Euro players also need about 2 years to adjust to the NBA just like college rookies. So that's another 4 years before we know anything about him.

High first round pick next year- Crapshoot. But as we know most rookies don't have real impact for at least 2 years, especially on bad teams. So another 3-4 years.

A billion 2nd round picks- For what? Glen just sells those for straight cash. Here's the thing about 2nd round picks. Yea teams like the Spurs can sometimes find a gem in the second round, so why not just get more of those picks to give a higher chance of hitting it big.

It's not just luck that the Spurs have hit on these second round picks. Spurs have scouting that other teams don't have. Spurs have the coaching and development that other teams don't have. Spurs can put players in roles that bring out the best of them that the other teams don't. The 76ers aren't the Spurs. You think Kawhi would be the same player if he were on the 76ers rather then the Spurs? No way.


So really the 76er fans have 4 more years realistically before they know if this will all pay off. I think if this was the 90's and there wasn't the internet and Twitter and message boards and instant reaction after every game, they might get away with it. But man, no WAY you can keep doing this for fans for that long.

And hey if your guys are 3-4 years away anyway, why not sign some guys to deals to help win now? Contracts are shorter then ever. Even a max guy at 4 years is nothing devastating anymore.


Lastly, the cap is going to shoot up A LOT. Like every team is going to have major cap space. So what the hell is the point of not using it? Wither it's this year or 3 years from now, teams like the 76er's will have to overpay a guy to come anyway. A guy like Durant isn't going there. DUMB DUMB DUMB

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Just saw that Sixers final. What a joke this tanking is becoming. Hard to support this league, then add the new strike talks on top of that.

NBA action. It's faaaaannnnntastic!!!