Watching this Minny's "Maxy" drama, it reminds me that in the NBA some teams just can't put it together. In Europe, if you are bad you get demoted to a lower level of the competition. Poor teams are well hidden, not appearing on TV.
In the NBA when teams are bad we watch them "suffer" before our eyes for years and years. We are lucky fans, our rebuild was one of the best ever. 5 years ago we were a 25 win team. Brandon Bass led the team in win shares. Now as we are no. 2 contenders for the championship. But even if it doesn't go so well, 5-6 years is still a reasonable time span to turn things around and go for some type of playoff success afterward.
Currently, by my count, there are 5 teams that are kind of always working their way from the bottom. These are; Brooklyn, Phoenix, Minnesota, Sacramento, and Orlando. 5 out of 30, That is 1/6th of the league.
Brooklyn - they sold out draft assets, invented draft outsourcing, for us, but who cares they invented it (basically 5 good 1sts in 6 years; Lillard, J.Brown, Fultz, Sexton) for a quick contention that never happened. Now without high ceiling prospects, they are doing well (good choices for HC, GM jobs). Well for the Nets that is.
Phoenix - Since they traded Steve Nash (2012) they had their high picks but missed them left and right (Marshal-13th, Len-5th, small Ennis-18th, Chriss-8th, Bender-4th) They bounced between the ideas of going all in for the playoffs and tanking about 5 times in 6 years. When teams don't have a plan or don't execute one they seem rudderless.
Minnesota - proud owners of the NBA's worst win% out of all 30 teams (925-1405, .397 W-L% eat the dust Clippers!) They have a 50% chance of drafting a good player with a 1st pick overall, otherwise, they fail. Last years playoff appearance was an exception that proves the rule (missed prior 13 ones). Glen Taylor can take the blame here, he is calling the shots.
Sacramento - 12 years and counting without playoffs. Poor draft choices are usually a sign of poor management, and poor management is often a sign of a poor ownership. Vlade & Vivek self-explanatory, but in case it isn't, Vlade was learning the CBA after a couple of moves he made (especially that "tricky" stretch provision in Stauskas trade) and Vivek wanted to defend 4 on 5 and attack 1 on 0.
Orlando - They can't seem to comprehend that you need a playmaker to make plays. If you have that guy you have a good chance of making a functional offense and perhaps beside him, young players could develop (Bamba, Gordon, Isaac). They draft OK, not PGs though, but they also lose players for nothing (Dipo, T. Harris). And every year since Dwight left they are looking for their lost magic.
Out of these 5 teams, when and which one plays in the playoffs the earliest?