Misconceptions About Tanking, Part 1

by **bobheckler** Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:43 pm

I think a better name for this article would have been "Tanking for the Draft is a crapshoot", but I already know this.

http://www.celticstitletown.com/apps/blog/show/35457186-misconceptions-about-tanking-part-1-

Misconceptions about tanking Part 1
Posted by shawn cassidy on November 10, 2013 at 11:50 PM

I take a breath and I wait. As I'm typing this, I wonder if maybe I’m overbearing about this subject matter. Will I hit all the notes, or will it be more like a jam session. If I could just comprehend this misconception. Why would we, as fans want out team to tank games? Why would hope our rookie coach Brad Stevens the worst season possible. That's not good mentally for any coach, and for any core group of guys. The pro tankers keep saying this is the deepest draft in history, or one of them for that matter.

Is this the 2003 draft all over again? I don't know, but what about the past 10 years in draft history?

Year.....Team.........................No. 1 overall pick...............School/Country
2012.....New Orleans Hornets....Anthony Davis...................Kentucky
2011.....Cleveland Cavaliers......Kyrie Irving........................Duke
2010.....Washington Wizards.....John Wall..........................Kentucky
2009.....Los Angeles Clippers.....Blake Griffin.......................Oklahoma
2008.....Chicago Bulls...............Derrick Rose......................Memphis
2007.....Portland Trail Blazers.....Greg Oden........................Ohio State
2006.....Toronto Raptors...........Andrea Bargnani.................Italy
2005.....Milwaukee Bucks..........Andrew Bogut.....................Utah
2004.....Orlando Magic..............Dwight Howard...................SW Atlanta Christian Academy
2003.....Cleveland Cavaliers.......LeBron James.....................St. Vincent-St. Mary HS (OH)

There is only one player in that group of top picks who has a ring. Howard is a headache, but again he is one of the best centers in the game. It took him 5 seasons to reach a Finals, and that's major accomplishment. But Howard has proven that he's not worthy of the number one guy on a team, at least anymore. He hasn't evolved. Bogut has been good, but not an All-Star. But the injuries could play a part in that. Bargnani? Oden? Both didn't pan out. Rose is one of the best in the game, but I'll put my money where my mouth is. Rondo is a better point guard. Griffin is a nice star, but he's not "the guy". He's a great second guy.

John Wall hasn't proven anything yet. Irving has a lot of hype, but he hasn't proven anything yet. Davis is only in his second year.
Here is the top five's for each draft.

2012

Pick....Team.....Player.........................School / Club
1........NOH......Anthony Davis...............University of Kentucky
2........CHA......Michael Kidd-Gilchrist......University of Kentucky
3........WAS .....Bradley Beal..................University of Florida
4........CLE.......Dion Waiters.................Syracuse University
5........SAC.......Thomas Robinson..........University of Kansas

2011
Pick.....Team.....Player....................School/Country
1.........CLE.......Kyrie Irving..............Duke
2.........MIN.......Derrick Williams.........Arizona
3.........UTA.......Enes Kanter.............Turkey
4.........CLE........Tristan Thompson.....Texas
5.........TOR........Jonas Valanciunas.....Lithuania

2010
Pick.....Team.....Player...............School/Country
1.........WAS......John Wall...........Kentucky
2.........PHI........Evan Turner.......Ohio State
3.........NJN........Derrick Favors....Georgia Tech
4.........MIN.......Wesley Johnson...Syracuse
5.........SAC.......DeMarcus Cousins..Kentucky

2009
Pick.....Team.....Player....................School/Country
1.........LAC.......Blake Griffin.............Oklahoma
2.........MEM......Hasheem Thabeet.....Connecticut
3.........OKC.......James Harden...........Arizona State
4.........SAC.......Tyreke Evans............Memphis
5.........MIN........Ricky Rubio...............Spain

2008 (Now that was a great top 5, besides Beasley)
Pick.....Team.....Player...............School/Country
1.........CHI.......Derrick Rose.......Memphis
2.........MIA.......Michael Beasley..Kansas State
3.........MIN.......O.J. Mayo..........Southern California
4.........SEA.......Russell Westbrook..UCLA
5.........MEM......Kevin Love............UCLA

2007
Pick.....Team...........Player...............School/Country
1.........POR.............Greg Oden.........Ohio State
2.........SEA.............Kevin Durant......Texas
3.........ATL.............Al Horford..........Florida
4.........MEM............Mike Conley........Ohio State
5.........BOS.............Jeff Green..........Georgetown

2006
Pick.....Team.....Player...............School/Country
1.........TOR.......Andrea Bargnani..Italy
2.........CHI........LaMarcus Aldridge.Texas
3.........CHA.......Adam Morrison....Gonzaga
4.........POR........Tyrus Thomas....Louisiana State
5.........ATL........Shelden Williams..Duke

2005
Pick.....Team.....Player...............School/Country
1.........MIL.......Andrew Bogut.....Utah
2.........ATL......Marvin Williams....North Carolina
3.........UTAH....Deron Williams.....Illinois
4.........NOH......Chris Paul...........Wake Forest
5.........CHA......Raymond Felton...North Carolina

2004
Pick.....Team.....Player...............School/Country
1.........ORL.......Dwight Howard...Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
2.........CHA.......Emeka Okafor.....Connecticut
3.........CHI........Ben Gordon........Connecticut
4.........LAC........Shaun Livingston.Peoria Central HS (IL)
5.........WAS.......Devin Harris........Wisconsin

The 2003 draft was James, Darko, Melo, Bosh,and Wade. If you look at all of this what do you get out of it? Let's start with Rose.The Bulls didn't have to do much for him. They had Deng already, and they drafted Noah the year before at the 9th pick. They added Boozer as a free agent during the 2010 summer. The Bull also have one of the best coaches. If Rose was drafted by the Wizards. Would he be on a contenting team? I don't know if the Bulls are contenders this year. In 2011 the Bulls were, and in 2012 before the injury. Last year he didn't play. Now Rose is coming back to a team who may have changed without him. Time will tell.

What team sticks out to you? The Thunder? Do you expect the Celtics to get that lucky? That's a freak accident. That just doesn't happen. They couldn't even hang onto Harden. Let's look at the Pacers. A team on the rise. They drafted Hibbert 17th in the 2008 draft, and George was drafted 10th in the 2010 draft. David West was a veteran All-Star who they picked up on the free agent market. The Pacers already had Granger, who hasn't played that much in the past couple of years, but they also have others they've drafted, or traded for. George Hill was a good add.

A lot of the players above are All-Star type players, but franchise altering players. I'll give you my top 5 list of the best players from the 50 players above.
1. James (Top Pick)
2. Durant (2nd Pick)
3. Rose (Top Pick)
4. Westbrook ( 4th pick)
5.Kevin Love (5th pick)

People are wanting a savior. But I think one fact remains. Danny figured it out, and it's been the model for most teams. If you want to win you need a veteran team with the right mix of youth. Danny did the right thing by trading almost every young player on the Celtics for KG, and Ray Allen. Danny got a title out of it, and the Celtics should have one at least one more title from 2009-2012. Injuries played a part in all of that. But the fact remains. You need veterans to win, and I think Danny's intentions are simple. Try to repeat some of the same old tricks from his 2007 blockbuster summer. He won't be able repeat exactly. But I think Rondo is his Pierce, and he'll figure out how to build around Rondo. Because I stick by this. Rondo is one of those once in a lifetime players.

Who's not say that the C's make a steal at the 10th pick somehow, or at the 15th pick. Who really knows. The odds that the Celtics grab that number one pick is slime, even if they finish with the worst record in the NBA. The ping pong balls say the Celtics have a higher chance if they finish with the worst record. But we've seen what's happened in the past. Does 1997, and 2007 ring a bell. Like I said this post was a jam session. I think Danny's ideal solution is to build this team quickly, but the right way. He's made comments in the past about top picks. But I think he knows that the Celtics can't wait 5 years. He has a clock on Rondo, and I honestly believe he's looking to the summer of 2015 to sure up this team as a contender.

bob

.

by **RosalieTCeltics** Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:57 pm

Funny, out of all those names in all those years only one is a Boston Celtic, Jeff Green. Ironic?
Maybe. Genius? I think not. Luck of the draw? Definitely. All those players. It is amazing.

by **RosalieTCeltics** Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:00 pm

Funny, out of all those names in all those years only one is a Boston Celtic, Jeff Green. Ironic?
Maybe. Genius? I think not. Luck of the draw? Definitely. All those players. It is amazing I just
can't imagine "tanking" for the first pick. Do you honestly think we will be lucky enough to get one?
After all these years, I am a believer in 'WHAT WILL BE WILL BE".

Let the guys play. It is much more enjoyable than thinking game after game they are "tanking".

Rosalie

by **k_j_88** Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:42 pm

All the focus on tanking takes away from the enjoyment of the game. Every pundit and GM of perennially bad teams is wanting to see the next Kobe/Lebron/KD phenom.

Hard work can beat pure talent.

KJ

by **sinus007** Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:37 am

Hi,
You guys don't get it - Celtics are tanking.... the tanking.
Basketball

AK

by **beat** Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:42 am

Let the teams that we have their picks TANK.

Although it brings back a bitter memory, remember what we got for Gerald Henderson? in the 86 draft?

beat

by **Sam** Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:41 am

I've been getting the "inside story" from some ESPN "writers." Apparently, the reason Brad Stevens kept his composure so well after Jeff's winning shot was that he (Brad) was secretly seething within. He had drawn up a play he was sure couldn't be executed because he was trying so hard to tank the game. In fact, ESPN tells me that, during the Celtics' three-game winning streak, both Brad and Danny have taken to wetting their beds. Oh the horror of it! Brad's been doing everything he can to thwart the team, and still they're refusing to lose.

Sam

by **sinus007** Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:51 am

sam wrote:I've been getting the "inside story" from some ESPN "writers." Apparently, the reason Brad Stevens kept his composure so well after Jeff's winning shot was that he (Brad) was secretly seething within. He had drawn up a play he was sure couldn't be executed because he was trying so hard to tank the game. In fact, ESPN tells me that, during the Celtics' three-game winning streak, both Brad and Danny have taken to wetting their beds. Oh the horror of it! Brad's been doing everything he can to thwart the team, and still they're refusing to lose.

Sam

Sam,
Thanks for the info. Now I understand why you have to pay for "In->" stories.
Bummer! I'm SOL: spent all money, my wife allowed me to spend on basketball, on League Pass. Oh well...

AK

by **Sam** Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:07 am

Sinus, I'm glad that you (and I believe Berlin as well) have League Pass. When we lived in Florida, I had it, and it made all the difference in my ability to follow and enjoy the Celtics.

Sam

by **RosalieTCeltics** Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:16 pm

Now I understand, I just thought he was a "cool dude". For shame. Where is M.L.Carr when we need him

Rosalie

by **Berlin-T** Tue Nov 12, 2013 2:27 pm

sam wrote:I've been getting the "inside story" from some ESPN "writers." Apparently, the reason Brad Stevens kept his composure so well after Jeff's winning shot was that he (Brad) was secretly seething within. He had drawn up a play he was sure couldn't be executed because he was trying so hard to tank the game. In fact, ESPN tells me that, during the Celtics' three-game winning streak, both Brad and Danny have taken to wetting their beds. Oh the horror of it! Brad's been doing everything he can to thwart the team, and still they're refusing to lose.

Sam

That's good to know. Tank's Sam

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