That's how you tank. You get rid of talent, and you put the video guy in as coach and watch him flail around the sidelines like a kid in his dad's suit. Keep stinking it up, fellas!
That would be absolutely the worst thing that could happen at this point in terms of a rebuild. I'm hoping for 1-22! [video=youtube;VZ2HcRl4wSk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2HcRl4wSk[/video]
Are people actually buying into the idea that trading away Camby and Wallace was to improve the team this season? LOL!!
For a team that is supposedly rallying behind its new coach, being out rebounded by 10 and 8 boards the first two games isn't exactly a bad sign for Operation Tank!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!
No, of course not, but I also don't buy into the idea that the Blazers are playing to lose. The Blazers made the trades in order to ensure themselves the best chance of making major improvements to the roster this summer. They dumped McMillan because his relationship with the players had become part of the problem. That said, playing to lose is not smart basketball. The relative difference between a player available at, say, the 12th spot vs. the 16th pick in a deep draft is not likely to have a significant impact on how quickly the Blazers become a contending team again. In the mean time, playing to lose is demoralizing, teaches young players not to value the games, and cheats fans who have paid good money to watch their team compete. Play hard, play to win, and let the results come as they may.
This... Okay if Camby and Wallace actually played like they gave a shit, especially on the road; we would be one of the best teams in the West. Because they didn't and Nate lost his team; we are out of the playoffs. But losing Nate and his stale offensive game plan, Wallace and Camby; our team is "worse on paper", but better in terms of passion, heart and energy. Our talent alone that's left can still have us a playoff team. They are gonna make it.
OKC was on fire for a bit yesterday. They were getting calls, we weren't (not in any way blaming the outcome of the game on the refs, but it was a bit ridiculous, and the FT discrepancy made this glaringly obvious - I didn't think OKC was really that much more agressive). And you knew OKC was going to come out blazing after the Spurs embarrassed them in OKC the game before. I was okay with the outcome, and very happy with the effort. It's not really a tank job when you don't believe there's enough talent remaining to make the playoffs, but the effort is there (the potential is there, but a lot of these guys are young and unproven, and some of the vets just haven't lived up to their potential).
I agree with magnifier here. I think our team is better constructed after the trades. Wallace and Batum playing together didn't work. I think also Crawford and Felton can gain confidence from having more defined roles and playing more minutes. If I had my choice I would use them both in the starting backcourt. At least they're guards, playing Batum out of position and having him finish games with like minus 30 was depressing.
Nah, if you really want to tank you keep the roster as is and continue to get blown out by 30 with McMillan and his oversized funeral suits on the sidelines.
Nate's team split two games to OKC this year, a win by 10 points @OKC, and an OT loss after a screw-job by Scott Foster. Post-Nate, everybody is excited after losing to OKC by 16 points in a game full of Crawford jacking up shot after shot for a season high of 22 FGA with ZERO FTA. Even Nate wasn't letting Crawford chuck it that much. I do have to laugh at how so many are tying to convince themselves that Nate was the main problem, and are willing to jump on the AV Guy's bandwagon just because his name isn't Nate McMillan.
That was back when players actually cared about a game plan. Then they gave up on Nate's message and realized that he wasn't worth playing hard for. I root hard for the video guy because he's worked his ass off to get in this situation he's in. Guess where Mike Brown, Vogel, Thibedau, Frank and Spoelstra all got there starts in coaching? You just got so deep in your position on McMillan that there was no way you would see it any other way. Its not the first position I've seen you take like that. Nate will probably get a job in Charlotte this offseason and be on another 5 year rebuild and then never get out of the 1st round type sitaution.
That's on the players. The team was playing very well, and some selfish guys like Camby, Felton, and Wallace decided to start coasting. As for my view of Nate, that's a separate thing from my laughing about Canales being the coach. I mean, I just find it incredible that some of you think that Canales is there to actually try and win games. Things should get very interesting in that locker room over the next month, once the losing starts to set in.
