Suns and Lakers in full tank mode, Brooklyn keeps winning. Trouble for us?

[merkins]

Well the next game for the Nets is against the Sixers.  The Sixers want to beat the Nets, so the Laker's don't end up with the first pick.  If the Lakers end up with the first pick, then the Lakers more than likely will keep the pick.  The further down the Lakers pick, improves the odds that they will fall out of the top 3 after the lottery.

Solid logic. I'm not sure this kind of thing actually affects player performance, though.

Not only that, but beyond coaches, owners and management, why would players welcome new, young stars to potentially come take their jobs? 

At the end of the day tanking is not a player driven philosophy.  The only moves to accomplish this are through in game personnel management and shutting guys down , etc.  Not from the players.

[footey]

Well the next game for the Nets is against the Sixers.  The Sixers want to beat the Nets, so the Laker's don't end up with the first pick.  If the Lakers end up with the first pick, then the Lakers more than likely will keep the pick.  The further down the Lakers pick, improves the odds that they will fall out of the top 3 after the lottery.

Solid logic. I'm not sure this kind of thing actually affects player performance, though.

Not only that, but beyond coaches, owners and management, why would players welcome new, young stars to potentially come take their jobs? 

At the end of the day tanking is not a player driven philosophy.  The only moves to accomplish this are through in game personnel management and shutting guys down , etc.  Not from the players.

The art of tanking is simple. Coach let's defensive effort slide. Players programmed to produce offensively but not to defend. Plus defense is more help oriented so it is more coaching centric.

[mef730]

unbelievable that we are having to sweat this out given how far out Brooklyn was, even a month ago. Lakers won today (great) but Phoenix folded like a cheap camera vs Houston with no Hardin.

Phoenix would have to lose the rest and Brooklyn win the rest for Phoenix to take the worst record. But 3-1 & 1-3 would tie them for worst record, I believe. Surely that won't happen, but how did Brooklyn get hot the last two weeks of the season??

I think it's as much about the mix of opponents they have had over the past few weeks. They've had a collection of opponents who are either injured, don't care or are actively tanking on their own. Lin has helped, but we are not talking about a sudden change to a top 10 team.

Mike

[Granath]

Lin is underrated still. He is a great player check out his season stats

lin is not a great player.

Lin was never a great player.

He had a great month about 4 years ago.

TP.

Lin was on 6 teams (GS, NYK, HOU, LAL, CHO, BKN) in 6 years. That doesn't happen to great players or even decent ones.

[Smokeeye123]

Lin is underrated still. He is a great player check out his season stats

lin is not a great player.

Lin was never a great player.

He had a great month about 4 years ago.

TP.

Lin was on 6 teams (GS, NYK, HOU, LAL, CHO, BKN) in 6 years. That doesn't happen to great players or even decent ones.

Shaq was on about that many in a longer period.

Some players just move around. It doesn't mean their bad. It took Isaiah Thomas 3 teams before he found a home and he's a 30ppg allstar

[droopdog7]

Lin is underrated still. He is a great player check out his season stats

lin is not a great player.

Lin was never a great player.

He had a great month about 4 years ago.

TP.

Lin was on 6 teams (GS, NYK, HOU, LAL, CHO, BKN) in 6 years. That doesn't happen to great players or even decent ones.

Yeah, I think great is overstating things but Chauncy Billups had a similar beginning to his career and it turned out okay.  For this year's Nets at least, Lin seems to be making a pretty significant difference.

[Phantom255x]

I'd love to see the Lakers just win one more and Suns lose out lol.

[slamtheking]

Well the next game for the Nets is against the Sixers.  The Sixers want to beat the Nets, so the Laker's don't end up with the first pick.  If the Lakers end up with the first pick, then the Lakers more than likely will keep the pick.  The further down the Lakers pick, improves the odds that they will fall out of the top 3 after the lottery.

The Sixers want to lose all their games to maximize their own pick.  They want to stay in 5th or move up to 4th in the tank race.  The Lakers, with 4 more wins with only 5 games to go, aren't going to catchup to the Nets. 

while I confident the Nets will remain with the worst record no matter what, I could see Sixers management wanting to beat the Nets to ensure that.  Nets as the worst record cuts Lakers' odds of getting a pick high enough that they can keep it. 
Whether the Sixers players want the same thing can be debated because if that Laker pick is given to the Sixers, one of the hangers-on for that Philly roster this year likely won't be back next year (and likely not in the league -- unless the Nets need to fill out their roster again next season   )

The Lakers are going to finish 2nd or 3rd worst.  No one but some nervous Nellies on here think they'll make up 4 games on the Nets with 5 games to go.  The Sixers are a game within 4th and a game within 6th.  Them winning hurts the one pick that are certain to get in this draft. 

As for hangers-on, you mean people like Young and Mickey? 

I was referencing the hangers-on in Philly.  there's plenty of them there -- some probably have hopes that they can return for another year of collecting an NBA paycheck but would have concerns that if the Laker pick conveys, they'll be looking elsewhere to play.

everyone on the roster already knows the C's are getting 3 prospects added to next season's roster - Nets pick, Zizic and Yabu.   I'm sure the players at the tail end of the roster can see the writing on the wall.  from a talent perspective, Jackson, Young and Mickey have to be concerned.  Vets on the team like Amir, Jonas, Green and KO have to wonder as well.  not that they aren't more talented than the others on the tail end of the roster but finances will play a part on whether they're brought back as well.

[Granath]

Lin is underrated still. He is a great player check out his season stats

lin is not a great player.

Lin was never a great player.

He had a great month about 4 years ago.

TP.

Lin was on 6 teams (GS, NYK, HOU, LAL, CHO, BKN) in 6 years. That doesn't happen to great players or even decent ones.

Shaq was on about that many in a longer period.

Some players just move around. It doesn't mean their bad. It took Isaiah Thomas 3 teams before he found a home and he's a 30ppg allstar

Shaq was on 6 teams in 19 years and made those moves willingly. That's a helluva difference than being on 6 in 6 years and being cast off by most of those teams. If you're going to make false comparisons, at least try to get in the ball park with them.

PS: "they're"

[droopdog7]

The nets blow out the sixers.  There is a real chance they at least tie the suns or lakers.  SMH.

[Kaz]

The Lin-Lopez PnR is for real 

Hopefully the Nets can pick up a few more L's; I kinda saw them beating the Sixers today but I'm getting a bit antsy

[trickybilly]

Well the road home gets harder

Orlando
Chicago
Boston
Chicago

I can't see them beating a desperate (and rejuvenated) Bulls team twice. They probably beat Orlando, but that'll be all. Bring on the lottery!

[guava_wrench]

Nets remaining schedule:

@Orl
Chi
@Bos
@Chi

They would be lucky to walk away with 3 wins. They need other teams to lose every game to even eke out a tie in that case.

[kraidstar]

Lakers last 4 games:
@San antonio
vs Sacto
vs Minny
vs NO
@ Golden State

Those three middle games are all possible wins. And who knows about that last game against the Warriors, the Dubs could easily rest all their starters for that one. I think the Lakers take at least one of those final five games.

The Suns have an easier task, tank-wise:
vs Golden State
vs OKC
vs Dallas
@Sacto

of those, 4 Sacto and Dallas are possible wins.


then the Nets:

@Orl
vs CHicago
@Bos
@Chicago


Highly likely that the nets stay on bottom... then probably the Suns, then the Lakers at #3

[makaveli]

Lakers last 4 games:
@San antonio
vs Sacto
vs Minny
vs NO
@ Golden State

Those three middle games are all possible wins. And who knows about that last game against the Warriors, the Dubs could easily rest all their starters for that one. I think the Lakers take at least one of those final five games.

The Suns have an easier task, tank-wise:
vs Golden State
vs OKC
vs Dallas
@Sacto

of those, 4 Sacto and Dallas are possible wins.


then the Nets:

@Orl
vs CHicago
@Bos
@Chicago


Highly likely that the nets stay on bottom... then probably the Suns, then the Lakers at #3

yeah, we are safe