2015 NBA Regular Season Thread

[BwareDWare94]

Playing the "what if" game is too easy, though. I mean, we could trace back through many organizations and find other happenings in the NBA that led to something fortunate for that team. 
 
Not saying you're wrong, but it's the nature of the game. Has Dwayne Wade retired by now if LeBron never goes to Miami and Wade has to play crazy minutes on his shitty knees just to sniff the playoffs?

 

[Pugz]

probably not

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Has anyone discussed how often full out "tanking" has actually won a team a title? Maybe twice?

 

[elcheato]

That might have more to do with it being incredibly hard to win a title

 

[bosoxlover12]

Has anyone discussed how often full out "tanking" has actually won a team a title? Maybe twice?

how many times have teams won a title built around FA signings and not their own drafted players?

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Didn't the Spurs blatantly tank to get Duncan? That worked out well

 

[elcheato]

The Warriors tanked to get Harrison Barnes, the savior. 

 

[bosoxlover12]

The Hornets/Pelicans basically tanked

Stern had control of the team, and he thought Scola/Dragic would make them too good, so instead traded CP3 for Gordon, and then they got AD

Granted, those Hornets weren't trying to lose like the 96 Spurs (or whatever year it was) but it was also a tank move

 

[bosoxlover12]

But seriously the Tank Method is the best method. All the teams that have made the Finals over the past 6 years or so were built around drafted stars minus the Heat

So if you can't go sign the best player in the league, your next best move is to draft a young superstar. Otherwise you aren't winning a title

 

[elcheato]

The best method is having an athletic specimen grow up near your professional team and have an irrational connection to that dumpster of a city

 

[buzzy]

That method would be perfect if it weren't for his best friend living in fucking Miami.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Didn't the Spurs blatantly tank to get Duncan? That worked out well

That's one of the two

 

[jonathanlambert33]

The Hornets/Pelicans basically tanked

Stern had control of the team, and he thought Scola/Dragic would make them too good, so instead traded CP3 for Gordon, and then they got AD

Granted, those Hornets weren't trying to lose like the 96 Spurs (or whatever year it was) but it was also a tank move

Misinformed at its finest

 

[buzzy]

Why tank if you can just rig the lottery

 

[jonathanlambert33]

how many times have teams won a title built around FA signings and not their own drafted players?

I would say 11 of the last 15 title winning teams were built through FA signings or trades. So a lot more often than you seem to be aware of.

 

[elcheato]

Tanking isn't full proof, that much of obvious. The way to win in the NBA is to obtain a superstar. Tanking is the only way for a small or mid-market team to get a superstar, unless you get lucky and find one later in the lotto. That's the point. 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I believe 10 or 11 of the last 15 Finals MVPs were not originally drafted by their teams either.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

I believe 10 or 11 of the last 15 Finals MVPs were not originally drafted by their teams either.

I don't know if that's true or not, it sounds wrong, but even if it is true, that stat is misleading, because there's at least three guys off the top of my head (Kawhi, Kobe, Dirk) who weren't technically drafted by that team but were players who played their entire career with one team.

 

[elcheato]

And Steph Curry should have won finals MVP this past year 

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I don't know if that's true or not, it sounds wrong, but even if it is true, that stat is misleading, because there's at least three guys off the top of my head (Kawhi, Kobe, Dirk) who weren't technically drafted by that team but were players who played their entire career with one team.

Still guys they had to give up assets to acquire though. I do agree to a point however.