[Highkin] Both Chauncey Billups and Damian Lillard made it clear today at practice that resting him and Jerami was a one-time thing because of the flight issues. The idea that they’re going to tank was always ridiculous but there you have it straight from the source.
Both Chauncey Billups and Damian Lillard made it clear today at practice that resting him and Jerami was a one-time thing because of the flight issues. The idea that they’re going to tank was always ridiculous but there you have it straight from the source.
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) February 25, 2023
by Damezang
16 Comments
Smart people knew this the whole time
I’m really curious of the pregame protocol they go through
I’ll believe it in two weeks when they’re likely out with weird injuries for the season
What would the nba say if they came out and said “We tankin! Bkevgod coming back and wemby is already house shopping! Fudge yall!”
Right now, the Blazers are just 3.5 games from having the 5th-worst lottery odds.
Lottery odds are pretty flat now:
– 1-3: 14%
– 4: 12.5%
– 5: 10.5%
– 6: 9%
– 7: 7.5%
– 8: 6%
With Chicago, Orlando, and the Lakers trying… tanking right now could score a very good (or potentially a generational) player for the Blazers they would otherwise not have access to.
IMO they absolutely should tank. Now is this time. They aren’t winning anything this year. The sugar rush of the beginning of the season was because of a novelty of system that the league figured out almost immediately and Billups couldn’t adjust to (also, fire Billups now please).
I know Dame doesn’t want to tank. But winning 40 games and getting the 12th pick is a **much** worse outcome for next year than winning 33 games and having a legit shot at a once-in-a-generation player, or a top-6 pick.
Sean is a great reporter and for that reason I don’t doubt him. That being said, we’ll see. I think the org wants to tank, I don’t think Dame or Chauncey do.
Please just tank to get a decent top 10 pick😵💫 why pretend this roster and current assets is capable of contending?
u/Potential-Gur-3830 still think it’s tanking?
They should prob tank now also not to be skeptical but the reason did not make sense . Everyone on the team had same experience . As did lots of ppl in Portland who work for fractions of the money they make have to deal with long commutes and less sleep and still managed to work
As I said. Buncha idiots here. Why tank when dame is at his peak and healthy. 4 games out of home
But this doesn’t fit with my in-the-moment hot takes…
Seriously though, the west is so close through the middle range of teams, finishing 4th or 13th is absolutely possible right now. While I get playing it safe and not playing your last two healthy starters in this situation to avoid injury and risk losing more games, the standings are so close that if you seriously want to make the playoffs every single one of these games matters.
I think the rest of the season is going to be very interesting. I think making or missing the playoffs is still a win-win situation. We make the playoffs, our lower-draft seed pick conveys to Chicago, we go into the summer and the draft with the Knicks pick and the rest of our draft picks available to trade. We miss the playoffs, we keep our higher position draft pick, offer the Knicks pick to Chicago to free up our future picks, and go into summer with a lottery pick and our future picks to trade.
Is tanking a better option than trying to make the playoffs? Probably, but I’ll never cheer for the Blazers to lose. I’ll hope we win every game but won’t be too upset if we miss the playoffs if it gives us better assets for the future.
Now I just gotta decide what to do about next year’s season tickets. 🤣
Alright alright, I may have gotten ahead of my self with all the tank talk. Got caught up in Wemby-mania
Well, it’s pretty sad that this is what is happening when we are trying to win.
Well, it’s pretty sad that this is what is happening when we are trying to win.
They’re tanking.
We watched their actions. Their actions said TANK.