Leastern Conference Tanking

[LarBrd33]

This is kind of interesting to think about.  There's a lot of games to play, but let's imagine things continue like this for the rest of the season.

Currently there are 13 teams in the Western Conference with .500 records or above.  The Suns, Wolves, Lakers, Hornets and Nuggets all currently have .500 records and yet they are out of the playoffs if they started today.

Meanwhile, there are only 5 teams in the entire Eastern Conference with winning records. 

Here's what that means:

Detroit and Washington are currently tied with 5-8 records. 

If the playoffs started today, Detroit would make the playoffs with the 8th seed... and likely get swept by the Pacers.    Washington would miss the playoffs.   

Detroit would get the #15 pick.

Washington would be 9th in the lotto and have a long-shot chance of landing one of the top 3 picks.  (the 9th worst team won the lotto in 2008.  8th worst won it in 2011)

As this draft class starts to shake out and we start to get a better sense of the talent available... it may be that the difference between the 9th pick and 15th pick is pretty dramatic.   

Here's what even more frightening.  The Bucks are the bottom of the East with a 2-10 record... and yet they are only 2.5 games behind Philly with the 7th seed.  The difference between the #2 pick and #16 pick is pretty slim at the moment.  It's going to be a crazy year in the Leastern Conference. 

[SHAQATTACK]

Nets fire Kidd and go on a win streak....

[greg683x]

i got to thinking about this as well.  It's frustrating looking at espn articles saying 'Should the Bulls Tank??' after Roses injury.  I feel like EVERY team is starting to tank.  I realize that isnt a coincidence considering this years draft class, it just makes it frustrating as a C's fan that some team with already established players could steal one of these picks from us.

I dont remember 2003 being anything like this

[D.o.s.]

i got to thinking about this as well.  It's frustrating looking at espn articles saying 'Should the Bulls Tank??' after Roses injury.  I feel like EVERY team is starting to tank.  I realize that isnt a coincidence considering this years draft class, it just makes it frustrating as a C's fan that some team with already established players could steal one of these picks from us.

I dont remember 2003 being anything like this

Because the sports media of 2003 wasn't addressing or covering tanking in the same way.

[Birdman]

I always did say that there are too many teams in the NBA..

[greg683x]

i got to thinking about this as well.  It's frustrating looking at espn articles saying 'Should the Bulls Tank??' after Roses injury.  I feel like EVERY team is starting to tank.  I realize that isnt a coincidence considering this years draft class, it just makes it frustrating as a C's fan that some team with already established players could steal one of these picks from us.

I dont remember 2003 being anything like this

Because the sports media of 2003 wasn't addressing or covering tanking in the same way.

i suppose so.  I also think part of it is that 2003 was the pre-super team era.  I think most teams were building around the just player and surrounding him with the right role players.

Now teams still are mostly building around one player but to compete he needs to be surrounded by multiple all stars.  Other teams now that dont fall into this mold currently are even further away than they were before, and even when teams do get their star theyre still tempted to tank to get their 2nd and their 3rd player. 

[D.o.s.]

The rules about illegal defenses and hand checking in 2003 also made building your team around one elite scorer a lot more feasible.