TANK vs ANTI TANK - SUPER THREAD - The Because I Can't Keep Track Edition

[planetmars]

Personally never thought this franchise could ever get this far.. But it was great management and luck that got us here. This is a franchise that doesn't have a lottery pick anymore (and probably won't for at least the foreseeable future) but should be able to get star players to come here in a trade to get us over the top. And it was DD/JV (both lottery picks) and Lowry (traded for a lottery pick) that have helped elevate this team to where they are anyway.

I was all in for tanking after see the sh!t show that was Lowry, DD, Gay and Bargnani. But looking back that 2014 class has been really weak. Not a fan of Wiggins at all. Embiid is a good player but I'd personally rather have this version of Lowry.

And if we're talking championship... we're pretty close. A lot closer than a lot of teams in the league that have to compete against the best player alive and the best team that's ever been put together (on and off paper).

[golden]

Not really. It proves that making one bad decision (trading Harden) can be fatal.

But that's a completely different debate which makes it impossible to prove if tanking as a strategy, or any strategy for that matter, works or doesn't work. You could also point to injuries to Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka at various times, or rigid coaching from Scott Brooks.

What you're really talking about is management and ownership decision making, regardless of employing tanking as a short-term strategy. If we want a better picture of pro-active tanking as a strategy, we need to look at Philly 5 years from now.

[Mess]

Tim's no longer here and possibly it could be because the owners didn't support his agenda of spending what it takes to win.

However, you could argue being one of the final 4 teams last year and potentially this year is competing for titles.

Nah I'm pretty sure Tim left because on his previous job there was an exit agreement stating he had a 1 year or two year no compete clause. So he went out of the country to get around it. Definitely fuzzy on the details and it can't be proved and no one has admitted to it but that's my working theory.

[golden]

Also to add, not winning a title doesn't prove anything about tanking being right either. My point is, the whole back patting of who's right and wrong is really irrelevant without a ring to back it up.

I'm pretty OK with being one of the top 6 teams in the league and repeat final 4 appearances. Winning in this league is tough. Winning it all is a crapshoot. Injuries are completely un-predictable.

[Axel]

But that's a completely different debate which makes it impossible to prove if tanking as a strategy, or any strategy for that matter, works or doesn't work. You could also point to injuries to Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka at various times, or rigid coaching from Scott Brooks.

What you're really talking about is management and ownership decision making, regardless of employing tanking as a short-term strategy. If we want a better picture of pro-active tanking as a strategy, we need to look at Philly 5 years from now.

Again though, you are misunderstanding my point. I'm not trying to prove whether tanking was the right strategy or not (that train sailed long ago), I'm literally pointing out that when certain special posters try and claim "proof they were right" that without a ring, they have no proof.

[Mess]

Also to add, not winning a title doesn't prove anything about tanking being right either. My point is, the whole back patting of who's right and wrong is really irrelevant without a ring to back it up.

A ring is proof that you won, but not proof that you won because you followed a certain strategy.

Basically, either way win or lose, tank or spank, it's never that simple.

[Axel]

I'm pretty OK with being one of the top 6 teams in the league and repeat final 4 appearances. Winning in this league is tough. Winning it all is a crapshoot. Injuries are completely un-predictable.

I'm ok with that over a longer time frame IF we win a title in that time frame. Otherwise it's just fancy losing. Perhaps my expectations are high but they are attainable.

[Axel]

A ring is proof that you won, but not proof that you won because you followed a certain strategy.

If Demar leads us to a title as a top 2/3 option on the team, then I will gladly accept that as proof. But yes, you are correct. But that hasn't and won't stop people from posting about "being proven right".

[Mess]

If Demar leads us to a title as a top 2/3 option on the team, then I will gladly accept that as proof. But yes, you are correct. But that hasn't and won't stop people from posting about "being proven right".

Can't we just come together and agree that in the alternate tanking universe we're also losing to Cleveland in the conference finals?

Everybody's right/wrong!

[3inthekeon]

Also to add, not winning a title doesn't prove anything about tanking being right either. My point is, the whole back patting of who's right and wrong is really irrelevant without a ring to back it up.

This is true,

It must be said though this trip to a potential championship, whether we reach our destination or not in the next few years, is like a ride in a BMW (as opposed to a couple of other teams who have Ferrari's), whereas tanking like Philly would mean we're still riding a bus that smells like urine.

We don't know if either of the bus or BMW would actually reach our goal but the ride is a lot more enjoyable.

[KeonClark]

I can't believe another conversation about tanking/treadmilling/retooling/slow building/which is right has fired up in the last hour lmao

[Axel]

I can't believe another conversation about tanking/treadmilling/retooling/slow building/which is right has fired up in the last hour lmao

Haha I did preface my original comment with "kicking the hornets nest".

[golden]

Also to add, not winning a title doesn't prove anything about tanking being right either. My point is, the whole back patting of who's right and wrong is really irrelevant without a ring to back it up.

One thing was proven, irrefutably, though.

That you can assemble deep quality talent and build a legit final 4 contender quickly and relatively painlessly, by using assets other than your own low draft position, via trades, internal player development & free agents.

[special1]

Pro-tankers were so convinced that we would go nowhere with this core......They laughed at us for believing.

In an alternate universe they were right. lol

[rocwell]

Pro-tankers were so convinced that we would go nowhere with this core......They laughed at us for believing.

In an alternate universe they were right. lol

I think it's very unfair to say "pro-tankers were so convinced that we would go nowhere with this core". FFS, We had BARGNANI! I always was pro-tanker when Bosh left us tbh. But do you remember what I said when we went on a 5-0 streak after Rudy Gay trade?