Author Topic: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?  (Read 4500 times)

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Offline Alleyoopster

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It's now the dog days of summer* and the postings are slowing down. So, I thought I would throw out the old tanking debate to find out if any of us have changed our opinion on tanking.

Obviously, most of us have high expectations for next year. Especially with; the addition of a star player, the addition of a prized rookie and the further development of a few young players. Hopefully, things will work out and we'll break the 50 win barrier. In a perfect world everything works out and come Spring we're in the hunt for an Eastern Conference title.   

On the other hand, what if things don't work out. What if there is a series of setbacks such as a rash of injuries and/or a major trade takes place that backfires leaving the team in limbo. What do you think the Celtics should do? For example, let's say the team is 22-30 with 20 games until the end of the season and they have an easy schedule ahead of them. They could possibly win 15 of these games and get into the playoffs. Or, if they choose to tank, they could lose 15 of these games and end up in the lottery. 

With the recent success of not tanking it's seems most of us would prefer to do our best and make the playoffs. However, given that the new collective bargaining agreement makes it a lot more expensive to get top talent would you now consider tanking as an option. In other words, in past years one would hope to add top talent via free agency. Now, one has to think twice before jumping into the bidding war even for marginal players.   

This is simply a hypothetical exercise...so take the post with a grain of salt. Not with an actual intention or expectation to do poorly this year.

*http://farmersalmanac.com/weather/2015/06/29/why-are-they-called-dog-days-of-summer/

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2016, 12:16:35 PM »

Offline A Future of Stevens

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This season is a different scenario. Since we swap with the nets, us tanking doesnt help us at all. Our record only helps the nets. There is no way we end up with a worse record than that dumpster fire, so you have to win as many as possible to push then down further (their pick, and its impact on next year.)

This is before you get into the whole stevens and our perception around the league debate.
#JKJB

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2016, 12:32:15 PM »

Offline mmmmm

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Absolutely not.

A Future of Stevens is spot on.  For this coming season, it doesn't help us at all to tank.  Our tanking would only help the Nets, which we don't want to happen because we want them to continue to be bad through the following season.
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Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2016, 12:33:50 PM »

Offline libermaniac

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This season is a different scenario. Since we swap with the nets, us tanking doesnt help us at all.
I am by no means defending tanking, as the C's will be the 2nd best team in the ECF, IMO.  But, this statement is not true.  If the C's were to get into the lottery it would increase their odds of getting a top 3 pick.  The swap with the Nets occurs after the lottery order is selected, so if the C's were terrible, it would increase their odds.

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2016, 12:42:34 PM »

Offline BitterJim

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This season is a different scenario. Since we swap with the nets, us tanking doesnt help us at all.
I am by no means defending tanking, as the C's will be the 2nd best team in the ECF, IMO.  But, this statement is not true.  If the C's were to get into the lottery it would increase their odds of getting a top 3 pick.  The swap with the Nets occurs after the lottery order is selected, so if the C's were terrible, it would increase their odds.

If we have already traded the Nets 2018 pick by then, it could make sense to tank to increase our lottery odds (although in this case, we would be looking at being around 10-14 in the lottery, which would have only a marginal effect on lottery odds), but if we still have the BRK 2018 pick then we also need to consider how a lottery pick (whether used or traded) would help the Nets in 2018

There are some situations where tanking could potentially make sense, but none of them are likely to happen
I'm bitter.

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2016, 01:00:43 PM »

Offline max215

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This season is a different scenario. Since we swap with the nets, us tanking doesnt help us at all. Our record only helps the nets. There is no way we end up with a worse record than that dumpster fire, so you have to win as many as possible to push then down further (their pick, and its impact on next year.)

This is before you get into the whole stevens and our perception around the league debate.

This is really all that has to be said, TP.
Isaiah, you were lightning in a bottle.

DKC Clippers

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2016, 01:08:23 PM »

Offline hwangjini_1

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well, this thread didnt go too far did it?  ;D
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Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2016, 01:11:20 PM »

Offline A Future of Stevens

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This season is a different scenario. Since we swap with the nets, us tanking doesnt help us at all.
I am by no means defending tanking, as the C's will be the 2nd best team in the ECF, IMO.  But, this statement is not true.  If the C's were to get into the lottery it would increase their odds of getting a top 3 pick.  The swap with the Nets occurs after the lottery order is selected, so if the C's were terrible, it would increase their odds.

That's actually a good point that I didn't really stop to think about. However, it does bring up a good point. Say you could potentially tank all the way to the 7th best odds, do you do it? Which is more valuable to the team as a whole, increasing your odds of getting the top pick (so the 1-4 slot, whichever the nets are, + the 7th at best odds) or the 1-4, and the value of the 2018 nets pick next year without them adding a top 10 pick to their roster. Also, if you did move up in the lottery using our own pick, that still more than likely gives the Nets a top 5 pick this year, most likely lowering the value of the 2018.

I think basically in any scenario, you can't tank this year.
#JKJB

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2016, 01:32:47 PM »

Offline rochrist

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It would take a pretty dire catastrophe for this team to be in any position to even consider tanking.

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2016, 01:41:42 PM »

Offline Alleyoopster

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It would take a pretty dire catastrophe for this team to be in any position to even consider tanking.

I agree with you it would have to be a pretty dire catastrophe. This posting was based on a theoretical situation, not on reality. I was looking to find out if anyone's point of view on tanking may have changed due to the new collective bargaining agreement. From the recent postings it seems the collective bargaining agreement hasn't moved the needle in CBers minds. Or, is a non-factor. Then again, this is just a small sample of posters. 

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2016, 01:57:02 PM »

Offline loco_91

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Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2016, 01:57:50 PM »

Online DefenseWinsChamps

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*sigh

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2016, 01:58:45 PM »

Offline Ed Hollison

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I think Jackie Chan nailed it
"A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love."

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Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #13 on: July 20, 2016, 02:06:10 PM »

Offline Eric_Suede

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Tanking is NEVER a good idea. Unless next year is comparable to the 1996/2003 draft class, never a good idea.

Re: If the Celtics are doing poorly....should they consider tanking?
« Reply #14 on: July 20, 2016, 02:18:14 PM »

Offline libermaniac

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Perhaps the Warriors should consider tanking to add a stud rookie to the Big 4.  Then they'd have the Big 5!  Geez.