Conspiracy theory: Wiz lost to the Celtics on purpose

[Tr1boy]

So that they can play the 76ers in the 1st round.

I have seen/heard this theory.  With the way the Wiz lost to the Celts and beatdown they laid on the Pacers...

Thoughts?

The reason against the theory are

1.  Could lose to Pacers
2. Even if Wizards beat 76ers in the 1st round. Have to face Nets in the 2nd. Unless hoping for wear and tear (Nets stars).

If Wiz purposedly planned this. Was it a smart move?

[Roy H.]

They didn’t plan it.  I think that players are way more competitive than you are giving them credit for. They are not going to tank a nationally televised game and put themselves on the brink of elimination on purpose. I think each and everyone of them would prefer the win and the rest.

Look at the Pacers game against Charlotte. They crushed them, and two nights later they got blown out themselves. It happens.

[Celtics2021]

The Wizards didn't lose to the Celtics on purpose.  They're going to get waxed by the Sixers, who swept them this year with an average margin of victory of 14 points.  The all-offense, no-defense Nets are a much better matchup for a similarly styled Washington team, shown by the Wizards going 2-1 during the regular season.  The Wizards definitely tried to beat the Celtics and the C's played better basketball, plain and simple.

[Tr1boy]

The Wizards didn't lose to the Celtics on purpose.  They're going to get waxed by the Sixers, who swept them this year with an average margin of victory of 14 points.  The all-offense, no-defense Nets are a much better matchup for a similarly styled Washington team, shown by the Wizards going 2-1 during the regular season.  The Wizards definitely tried to beat the Celtics and the C's played better basketball, plain and simple.

But Nets didnt have their big three in any of those games

That is 3 high end all stars in one team

Vs 76ers with Embiid as the only real concern.

Simmons is good but more as a complimentary talent.

[Moranis]

Nope.  Boston is just better than Washington, even without Brown. 

[Celtics2021]

The Wizards didn't lose to the Celtics on purpose.  They're going to get waxed by the Sixers, who swept them this year with an average margin of victory of 14 points.  The all-offense, no-defense Nets are a much better matchup for a similarly styled Washington team, shown by the Wizards going 2-1 during the regular season.  The Wizards definitely tried to beat the Celtics and the C's played better basketball, plain and simple.

But Nets didnt have their big three in any of those games

That is 3 high end all stars in one team

Vs 76ers with Embiid as the only real concern.

Simmons is good but more as a complimentary talent.

They had 2 of their 3 all three games.  Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook don't try to throw games.  They're both alpha-level competitors.

[nyceltsfan]

So that they can play the 76ers in the 1st round.

I have seen/heard this theory.  With the way the Wiz lost to the Celts and beatdown they laid on the Pacers...

Thoughts?

The reason against the theory are

1.  Could lose to Pacers
2. Even if Wizards beat 76ers in the 1st round. Have to face Nets in the 2nd. Unless hoping for wear and tear (Nets stars).

If Wiz purposedly planned this. Was it a smart move?

I thought that if the Wizards beat the Sixers, they would face the winner of NYK and ATL, or is there reseeding this year?

[Ogaju]

It’s more like the NBA prefers the Nets vs Celtics match up so they had their refs call the game with that in mind. How many free throws did Tatum get?

[Vermont Green]

This is just a backhanded way to criticize the Celtics.  If you are positive about the Celtics, you are a Green-Teamer and this is for people who want to be high profile about NOT being a green teamer.

Likely both the Celtics and the Wizards are going to lose their series regardless of who plays whom.  If this was the Wizard's strategy, it was a dumb one.

I wonder if the Celtics had lost to the Wizards, would these same people be saying that the Celtics lost on purpose?  And that it was smart to do so?  Yeah, right.

[slamtheking]

So that they can play the 76ers in the 1st round.

I have seen/heard this theory.  With the way the Wiz lost to the Celts and beatdown they laid on the Pacers...

Thoughts?

The reason against the theory are

1.  Could lose to Pacers
2. Even if Wizards beat 76ers in the 1st round. Have to face Nets in the 2nd. Unless hoping for wear and tear (Nets stars).

If Wiz purposedly planned this. Was it a smart move?

heard a talking head on one of the Boston sports programs last night raving this was the case based on his observation that Westbrook went back to playing like he had the past few weeks and that Wash blew out the Pacers.  a lot of nonsense. 

[footey]

Pacers played out of their minds vs Hornets, and came back to earth vs Wiz.  That to me explains the disparity in result.

[Tr1boy]

So that they can play the 76ers in the 1st round.

I have seen/heard this theory.  With the way the Wiz lost to the Celts and beatdown they laid on the Pacers...

Thoughts?

The reason against the theory are

1.  Could lose to Pacers
2. Even if Wizards beat 76ers in the 1st round. Have to face Nets in the 2nd. Unless hoping for wear and tear (Nets stars).

If Wiz purposedly planned this. Was it a smart move?

heard a talking head on one of the Boston sports programs last night raving this was the case based on his observation that Westbrook went back to playing like he had the past few weeks and that Wash blew out the Pacers.  a lot of nonsense.

Probably coincidence or Celts had a much better gameplan

But RW and Beal played much better vs Pacers

Also Lopez looked like an ungraceful Hakeem with those hook shots vs Sabonis

[Tr1boy]

Pacers played out of their minds vs Hornets, and came back to earth vs Wiz.  That to me explains the disparity in result.

This theory or notion wont rest if Celts lose and Wizards win their 1st round

I would say more unlikely Celts beat Nets than Wiz beat 76ers.

I personally would have loved to face the 76ers instead of Nets.

[liam]

Westbrook didn't play well because he was defended well. The Same for Beal. I realize the Celtics have been written off but the reason The Wiz looked so bad against us and so good against Indy had a lot to do with how well the Celtics played.