Timberwolves Are Better Off Tanking
| 6
|
by user Leslie Monteiro
You see hockey teams and basketball teams tank it over the years. They never admit it publicly, but actions speak louder than words. The Pittsburgh Penguins are really good at it. They would lose every time and they get away it by being rewarded with getting guys like Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, and now Evengi Malkin. They tank it so that they can get that franchise player in the draft. Their odds are good if they lose every game. The Celtics, Grizzlies, and the Sixers are going at it hard. The Timberwolves should do the same too. They are not that good to make the playoffs so they are better off by trying to get a high pick to build around with.
There are many optimists that think the Wolves are good enough to make the playoffs. They talk about if Minnesota makes the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks will have to sweat it out against them. Who are they kidding? First off, the Wolves would lose to either Phoenix or Dallas in 4 games. They are not that good enough to match the athleticism or the skill of both teams. They do not have a roster that can match up with their shooters. Timberwolves head coach Randy Wittman said it best about how the guard play was atrocious the other night at Houston. He took a shot at Mike James, Troy Hudson, and Ricky Davis. Besides Randy Foye and Kevin Garnett, does anyone in that roster scare anyone?
The optimists need to deal with the harsh reality. The Wolves are not a playoff team. Those people need to wake up and realize that. They are far from being mathematically eliminated and they are not that far off from the last playoff spot. Here is the reality though. The other contenders are much better than the Wolves for the last playoff spot. The Clippers still have a roster from last year. Those guys are experienced enough to know what it takes to get to the playoffs. Remember they almost went to the Western Conference Finals last year. They got the pieces to be there. The Nuggets are struggling, but they have the players to get it done. Do not count out the Trail Blazers and the Warriors. They got talent to get there. The Wolves simply do not have the players to get it done. It is a miracle that former head coach Dwane Casey, who was fired few weeks ago, was able to get a .500 team out of a horrible roster. By the way, Casey should be thankful to sit at home and collect Glen Taylor’s millions instead of coaching this train wreck of a team.
They can go play hard and try to be respectable, but what does it matter if there are no playoffs for them. If the Wolves have a respectable record of 38 to 41 wins, they will lose their draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers thanks to a lopsided trade that they made last off-season in trading Sam Cassell and a draft pick for Marko Jaric, who is a bust. For a team that has lost first round draft picks over the years thanks to an ill-advised illegal signing of Joe Smith, is it the right idea for them to give up another pick. They are better off getting a very high pick to build around.
Kevin Garnett is not going to be around forever. He is already 30. He may have a few more years of dominance and even then, you are seeing a sign of decline by him. He is not getting to the loose balls as consistently as he used to. He is getting outworked by his counterpart. These are signs that problems could be ahead for him which is why it is best to trade him while he has value. Wolves need a player that can make the same impact that KG has done for years. That guy could be Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Durant could be a better fit. For this writer’s money, he would be the first pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. He has it all. He has the size, athleticism, and intelligence. He can shoot. He can defend. He can give you everything. This is a type of player that the Wolves could use to build around for the next 10 to 15 years. Why would the Wolves want to pass this opportunity?
The team has showed you nothing under Wittman. [[Glen Taylor]] and Kevin McHale, who are the braintrust and the cancer that cause problems for the Wolves, were kidding themselves if Wittman would turn this mess around. Wittman can go scream all he wants, but it is not going to change the players who they are. This is a lottery team at best. Maybe they can lose games of their own instead of losing on purpose. The best they can do is win 36 games at best. They are on pace by doing just that.
It is not good when teams are tanking. It is not the right thing to do, but teams do it for the long-term of this franchise. Wolves have every reason to tank since they are going to need a superstar one day. They do not have to apologize for doing it though. The draft is very deep this year. They can do no worse than getting the sixth pick. Think about this? Would Wolves fans like a roster of KG, Rashad McCants, [[Craig Smith]], Randy Foye, and Kevin Durant? It may not be a championship team, but it will be an exciting team with promise ahead. Lose the draft pick and it will be the same old roster that will produce more depressing moments. Do Wolves fans want to see this? There is also one great thing about tanking too. Maybe the Wolves would garner bad enough of headlines that the Twin Cities media can finally expose the team for what they are which is they are bunch of losers that fans already know. This could give Taylor an epiphany that McHale is a lost cause and this could make McHale resign. Heck Taylor may sell the team to Vikings owner Zygi Wilf.
How could tanking be a bad thing?
