Let's Settle This: Were the Wolves tanking, and was it a good idea? (with poll!)

As in, Kahn purposefully kept the talent level low this season so that we’d lose a lot. But I think Rambis and the players were really that bad.

But as EiM stated in another thread, it wasn’t Mark “Maddog” “I wanna be a chucker” Madsen tanking. It is more like the lets come to the game to try some random crap out while the other team is sticking to what they know works tanking. Otherwise called not trying to win. Which is much better than trying to lose (cough..cough…Maddog).

just crappy.

I think there was an organizational emphasis on losing a ton of games, this year, for the sake of the 2010 Draft. That meant, rather than a lineup of

Sessions
Q-Rich
Brewer
Love
Jefferson

with Gomes/Flynn/Ellington off the bench, we saw

Flynn
Wilkins
Brewer
Jefferson
Hollins/Darko/etc

The most obvious evidence of tanking occurred after 02/06/10, when we beat Memphis for our fourth consecutive victory. Included in that winning streak was a win at Dallas. Our record, at that point, was 13-38. Golden State’s was 14-37. You get the idea.

The Wolves closed out the season on a 2-29 stretch. Let’s just repeat that for some emphasis:

2-29.

The wins?

At Miami, on 02/23/10. Playing without D-Wade, as they were that night, Miami is the worst team in basketball.

Home versus Sacramento, on 03/31/10. At stake that night was the franchise record for consecutive losses. In other words, bad press. We managed to eek out a win versus the ROY and Donte Green.

I don’t know the exact methodology used, but it’s too much of a coincidence that when we started to catch Golden State, we closed out the year on a 2-29 stretch that only included wins when the opposition was non-existent, or a franchise record of futility was at stake.

Unfortunately, the roster was bereft of wing talent worth developing. The exception in terms of talent, Corey Brewer, proved the rule, as he spent the year with an almost unconscionable green light.

Was it right to do it, we’ll know tomorrow night!

1) Player development. Not just in the abstract, but within the context of Kurt’s system. In this regard, I think only Brewer showed obvious development. There may have been others, but it was not clear to me. Maybe Ellington.

2) Establishing Kurt’s system and style of play. They were successful in pushing the pace and learning parts of the triangle. If there is significant roster turnover, and a few assistants end up elsewhere (Theus/Bill), then one could question how worthwhile this was.

3) Playing guys to improve or retain their future trade value. Show Al was healthy, Flynn was a starting caliber PG, Brewer was not NBDL material, etc. This was probably mildly successful.

4) Avoid playing short-term vets to get a few draft-pick-damaging wins. Mission accomplished here.

No, they really were that good.