Anonymous executive from a bad team against tanking (is it Ainge?)

[Drucci]

From David Aldridge's Morning Tip :

Conspiracy theorists see tanking with every three-game losing streak. The reality is that people in sports know more than anyone else how even the inference of tanking corrodes a team's psyche and mental strength. It is so easy to give into losing, and once a team does, it's so difficult to, as they say, change the culture.

Yet the East is so weak, relatively speaking, this season. It's quite possible a sub-.500 team will again make the playoffs. And if you're already a below-.500 team, it's surely tempting, like eating that cheesecake, to "play the kids" and "see what our young players can do."

The potential cost, though, is always a major risk.

"I never can subscribe to that thinking," an executive from one team expected to struggle said Sunday. "If you try to lose, you will never get your team turned around. The team with the worst record hasn't won the lottery since 2004. Losing guarantees nothing, in my opinion.

"I can't speak for other teams, but it definitely is not our approach. If we end up with a bad record, it won't be from not playing hard and not trying to win. I can't speak for other teams and what they may do. Probably too early to tell."

Maybe it's not him but someone else from the Celtics organisation or simply another team. Anyway I do agree with him on one point : tanking has proven to be ineffective when you consider that the worst team in the league hasn't won the 1st pick since 2004.

I think the best "tanking strategy" would even be to have a bad record but to make sure you don't have the worst record since the odds have been favoring "better" bad teams.

[D.o.s.]

From David Aldridge's Morning Tip :

Conspiracy theorists see tanking with every three-game losing streak. The reality is that people in sports know more than anyone else how even the inference of tanking corrodes a team's psyche and mental strength. It is so easy to give into losing, and once a team does, it's so difficult to, as they say, change the culture.

Yet the East is so weak, relatively speaking, this season. It's quite possible a sub-.500 team will again make the playoffs. And if you're already a below-.500 team, it's surely tempting, like eating that cheesecake, to "play the kids" and "see what our young players can do."

The potential cost, though, is always a major risk.

"I never can subscribe to that thinking," an executive from one team expected to struggle said Sunday. "If you try to lose, you will never get your team turned around. The team with the worst record hasn't won the lottery since 2004. Losing guarantees nothing, in my opinion.

"I can't speak for other teams, but it definitely is not our approach. If we end up with a bad record, it won't be from not playing hard and not trying to win. I can't speak for other teams and what they may do. Probably too early to tell."

Maybe it's not him but someone else from the Celtics organisation or simply another team. Anyway I do agree with him on one point : tanking has proven to be ineffective when you consider that the worst team in the league hasn't won the 1st pick since 2004.

I think the best "tanking strategy" would even be to have a bad record but to make sure you don't have the worst record since the odds have been favoring "better" bad teams.

I feel like we just had a very long thread talking about this exact subject.

Anyway, every single time a team has tanked, they've attempted to put it out under the guise of "developing young talent" and "playing hard" and "it's a development season." It's much rarer to see a member of a front office come out and say "yeah, we're not trying to get better because we want a high draft pick."

[fairweatherfan]

Anyway I do agree with him on one point : tanking has proven to be ineffective when you consider that the worst team in the league hasn't won the 1st pick since 2004.

I think the best "tanking strategy" would even be to have a bad record but to make sure you don't have the worst record since the odds have been favoring "better" bad teams.

The Smiths have 5 children, all of whom are girls.  If they have another child, what is the likelihood of that child also being a girl?


EDIT:  To make it clearer, I think Danny knows the correct answer to that question and so, while he might agree with the sentiment, the quote is probably not from him.

[TwinTower14]

Chad Ford's Tank Rank -

5. Boston Celtics | Status: Tank-building | Record: 4-7 (Past week: 1-3)









Danny Ainge continues to scoff at the idea that the Celtics are tanking and took it a step further this week by saying he isn't sure the draft is as good as we are making it out to be. Maybe. With the possible exception of Jared Sullinger (21.3 PER this season coming off the bench) who on this team could he or coach Brad Stevens possibly be that excited about going forward?




Even if Stevens, who has lived up to the hype, can squeeze every ounce of effort out of these guys, their best-case scenarios are first-round exits over the next few years. Ainge wants more; Celtics fans expect more. He needs assets, and right now he doesn't have them. Winning now doesn't get him that. Wiggins, Parker and Randle all do. Don't count out Dante Exum here as well. Ainge has always bucked trends, and his scouting team is quite high on the young Australian.

[BASS_THUMPER]

i think it's great this team is exceeding expectations
im having fun watching proving tanking is not the plan

Danny Ainge continues to scoff at the idea that the Celtics are tanking and took it a step further this week by saying he isn't sure the draft is as good as we are making it out to be

i agree
no one coming out will get us another banner

[kozlodoev]

Chad Ford's Tank Rank -

5. Boston Celtics | Status: Tank-building | Record: 4-7 (Past week: 1-3)

Danny Ainge continues to scoff at the idea that the Celtics are tanking and took it a step further this week by saying he isn't sure the draft is as good as we are making it out to be. Maybe. With the possible exception of Jared Sullinger (21.3 PER this season coming off the bench) who on this team could he or coach Brad Stevens possibly be that excited about going forward?

Even if Stevens, who has lived up to the hype, can squeeze every ounce of effort out of these guys, their best-case scenarios are first-round exits over the next few years. Ainge wants more; Celtics fans expect more. He needs assets, and right now he doesn't have them. Winning now doesn't get him that. Wiggins, Parker and Randle all do. Don't count out Dante Exum here as well. Ainge has always bucked trends, and his scouting team is quite high on the young Australian.

Chad Ford falls well in line with other national pundits who have no idea what they're talking about, yet feel compelled to comment.

[D.o.s.]

Chad Ford's Tank Rank -

5. Boston Celtics | Status: Tank-building | Record: 4-7 (Past week: 1-3)

Danny Ainge continues to scoff at the idea that the Celtics are tanking and took it a step further this week by saying he isn't sure the draft is as good as we are making it out to be. Maybe. With the possible exception of Jared Sullinger (21.3 PER this season coming off the bench) who on this team could he or coach Brad Stevens possibly be that excited about going forward?

Even if Stevens, who has lived up to the hype, can squeeze every ounce of effort out of these guys, their best-case scenarios are first-round exits over the next few years. Ainge wants more; Celtics fans expect more. He needs assets, and right now he doesn't have them. Winning now doesn't get him that. Wiggins, Parker and Randle all do. Don't count out Dante Exum here as well. Ainge has always bucked trends, and his scouting team is quite high on the young Australian.

Chad Ford falls well in line with other national pundits who have no idea what they're talking about, yet feel compelled to comment.

I think the compulsion comes from his desire to earn a paycheck.

[kozlodoev]

I think the compulsion comes from his desire to earn a paycheck.

I'm sure, but his attempt at roster evaluation here is pitiful.

[BballTim]

From David Aldridge's Morning Tip :

Conspiracy theorists see tanking with every three-game losing streak. The reality is that people in sports know more than anyone else how even the inference of tanking corrodes a team's psyche and mental strength. It is so easy to give into losing, and once a team does, it's so difficult to, as they say, change the culture.

Yet the East is so weak, relatively speaking, this season. It's quite possible a sub-.500 team will again make the playoffs. And if you're already a below-.500 team, it's surely tempting, like eating that cheesecake, to "play the kids" and "see what our young players can do."

The potential cost, though, is always a major risk.

"I never can subscribe to that thinking," an executive from one team expected to struggle said Sunday. "If you try to lose, you will never get your team turned around. The team with the worst record hasn't won the lottery since 2004. Losing guarantees nothing, in my opinion.

"I can't speak for other teams, but it definitely is not our approach. If we end up with a bad record, it won't be from not playing hard and not trying to win. I can't speak for other teams and what they may do. Probably too early to tell."

Maybe it's not him but someone else from the Celtics organisation or simply another team. Anyway I do agree with him on one point : tanking has proven to be ineffective when you consider that the worst team in the league hasn't won the 1st pick since 2004.

I think the best "tanking strategy" would even be to have a bad record but to make sure you don't have the worst record since the odds have been favoring "better" bad teams.

  My initial thought is it isn't Ainge. Not that he'd never say anything like that, more that it just doesn't sound like his words.

[TwinTower14]

Yes - this C's roster is filled with dynamic players to build around...don't think Ford is way off here?  Who on this roster is building block? excluding Rondo and Sully? I would say Chad Ford has a better handle on the NBA and the NBA draft than you and I?

[Chris]

If that was Danny, he would have said it on the record.

[LarBrd33]

Of all franchises and GMs... the one who recently tanked a season only to win a championship the next year... probably isn't a franchise/GM that we should take serious when they make a public stand against tanking.

Ainge can say this team isn't tanking all he wants.  And technically he's right... this young team is going to try hard most nights.  Fact is, he tanked the season a half year ago when he dumped KG and Pierce for future assets.  I said it before... this team is set up to fail in the short term.

[aingeforthree]

Yes - this C's roster is filled with dynamic players to build around...don't think Ford is way off here?  Who on this roster is building block? excluding Rondo and Sully? I would say Chad Ford has a better handle on the NBA and the NBA draft than you and I?

What is a building block ?  A star player ?  You can win with team guys if the right guys are paired with a star.

Rondo, Bradley, Green, Sullinger, Olynyk, & Faverani are what I'd build around.  They all have roles on championship teams going forward IMO.  I also contemplate Crawford's game as a backup PG going forward, and whether or not Bass & his contract are worth it.

You don't have to tank to keep building a championship team.  Not with the assets Ainge has accumulated.  You have plenty to work with going forward to add a couple stars, & keep your team guys or complimentary guys to boot.

[aingeforthree]

Of all franchises and GMs... the one who recently tanked a season only to win a championship the next year... probably isn't a franchise/GM that we should take serious when they make a public stand against tanking.

Ainge can say this team isn't tanking all he wants.  And technically he's right... this young team is going to try hard most nights.  Fact is, he tanked the season a half year ago when he dumped KG and Pierce for future assets.  I said it before... this team is set up to fail in the short term.

It's also setup to do some damage 3 years down the road if you draft well, develop, and hit on a player or two in free agency or via trade.

Regardless of what Ainge says or doesn't say, he's going about it the correct way.  He's got us on a fast path to championship material and we'll get there sooner rather than later if he hits on some picks within the next 2 years.

[kozlodoev]

Yes - this C's roster is filled with dynamic players to build around...don't think Ford is way off here?  Who on this roster is building block? excluding Rondo and Sully? I would say Chad Ford has a better handle on the NBA and the NBA draft than you and I?

I see many "things to be excited" about in the Celtics roster (and the uneven performance of Sullinger off the bench is not one of them, for good measure). Those include, but are not limited to (in no particular order):

1. Solid play by Faverani and Pressey, who come better than advertised,
2. Flashes of brilliance by Green and Crawford,
3. Three incoming first rounders by a team that looks like a disaster in the making.

Ford seems to assume that since he can't see a budding LeBron James in our ranks, our only solution is to lose every game in sight.