Play-In Tournament #9 vs #10: Spurs vs Pelicans

[diego]

As of now if we make the PO, we eliminated both LA teams.

when you put it like that, i'll be happy either way

[heyheymymy]

any other context that those are edibles?

CJ is gobbling two back to back, no way that's 10 or 20mg each and he's playing still.

Probably electrolyte gummies or something. Would love to be wrong lol

[daslicer]

The Nets scenario (i.e., star studded rosters with injured/incomplete/recently fully healthy squads) will be something like 15% of the situations. Those will be interesting - the MEM-GSG match up last year was a case in point.

In the other 85%, i think your are right in the sense that most of the time the cluster of teams in the 7-10 range in each conference are fairly interchangeable and in the same crappiness cohort. Take out the Nets and that's the situation in the East for example (and frankly same in West depending on what you think of the Clips). If 7 and 8 are typically -bird teams anyway, why not introduce an element of suspense to otherwise dull 1-8 and 2-7 match ups?

I don't see the point of having the element of suspense because it's still going to more than likely result in the typical ty not interesting battles of the 1 vs 8 and 2 vs 7. It's like trying to put lipstick on a pig.

[daslicer]

It will really suck if the Spurs lose the 9th pick. The euphoria of getting into the playoffs will end quickly when the Suns sweep the Spurs and there will be a realization of how pointless it was to get into the playoffs.

[Chomag]

I don't want them to win, but I'm going to cheer for them to win. It's such a weird place to be as a Spurs fan.

[duncan2k5]

I'm predicting we handily beat the Pels... And we will also beat the Suns in 6... MARK MY WORDS!

[daslicer]

I'm predicting we handily beat the Pels... And we will also beat the Suns in 6... MARK MY WORDS!

If you are right then beating the Suns would make up for losing the lottery pick.

[MultiTroll]

I'm predicting we handily beat the Pels... And we will also beat the Suns in 6... MARK MY WORDS!

Marked.

[Uriel]

I actually think they should reform the play-in tournament to make it so that the draft/lottery picks stay the same, regardless of who wins the play-in tournament and makes the playoffs. Why?

Because it puts teams like us in a bizarre situation where we have incentives to lose the play-in tournament. Keeping the picks the same removes those incentives and makes the play-in tournament a true compe ion where all teams are fully in it to win.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I actually think they should reform the play-in tournament to make it so that the draft/lottery picks stay the same, regardless of who wins the play-in tournament and makes the playoffs. Why?

Because it puts teams like us in a bizarre situation where we have incentives to lose the play-in tournament. Keeping the picks the same removes those incentives and makes the play-in tournament a true compe ion where all teams are fully in it to win.

All teams are fully in it to win. Look at Minnesota's reactions after the game. It's only a small minority of fans on message boards who are pro-tanking.

[CGD]

I don't see the point of having the element of suspense because it's still going to more than likely result in the typical ty not interesting battles of the 1 vs 8 and 2 vs 7. It's like trying to put lipstick on a pig.

Fair enough, I just think it could add some intrigue and frankly a boost to a team much like the scrappy Memphis run did last year. Dont forget that in addition to beating us and GSW in dramatic fashion, they took Game 1 from Jazz. Memphis has also made a nice jump this year, and you can see a world where a NOLA (or even SA though less likely) might get a similar boost next year. Obviously we don’t have a Zion like NOLA.

The other argument for it, which I support, is using the play in as one of the tools to address the terribleness of tanking. They should sweeten the pot somehow: cash to players if 9/10 earns a berth, give better lottery pick odds, allow 9/10 to lock in there lotto positioning after the 82 game season as opposed to after play-in, etc.

[MultiTroll]

It will really suck if the Spurs lose the 9th pick. The euphoria of getting into the playoffs will end quickly when the Suns sweep the Spurs and there will be a realization of how pointless it was to get into the playoffs.

Gregg Popovich never thought about tanking as an option for the Spurs: ‘It’s not who I am’ (msn.com)

1997 Pop holds out David Robinson. It's exactly who you are.

[look_at_g_shred]

I'm sure this was covered already but i'll ask anyway. If we beat the pelicans but lose to the Clippers do we jump to the 10th best lottery odds or stay in 9th?

[Mugen]

Please god let the Pelis win

[exstatic]

Gregg Popovich never thought about tanking as an option for the Spurs: ‘It’s not who I am’ (msn.com)

1997 Spurs hold out David Robinson.

If you followed the rest of DRob's career from 97-03, you would acknowledge that he was never the same after the cascade of injuries that started with the '96 Olympics, and ended with his fractured foot in December.

[exstatic]

I'm sure this was covered already but i'll ask anyway. If we beat the pelicans but lose to the Clippers do we jump to the 10th best lottery odds or stay in 9th?

The only change in draft position is if you play in, or get knocked out of your playoff position. If you play in, you lose your lottery pick, and in our case, we would pick 15th. If any team gets knocked out, except the Clippers, they would be slotted as position #14 for the draft lottery selection process. By virtue of their record being worse that Atlanta and Charlotte, the Clippers would be slotted 12th.

[MultiTroll]

If you followed the rest of DRob's career from 97-03, you would acknowledge that he was never the same after the cascade of injuries that started with the '96 Olympics, and ended with his fractured foot in December.

Ya just horrible.
On June 15, 2003, in the finale of Robinson's career, the Spurs won another NBA le with an 88–77 victory over the New Jersey Nets in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. During this game, Robinson scored 13 points, as well as getting 17 rebounds, this was also the final game of his career and for the San Antonio Spurs

Did Greg Pop tank in 1997?
Yes or No?

[exstatic]

Ya just horrible.
On June 15, 2003, in the finale of Robinson's career, the Spurs won another NBA le with an 88–77 victory over the New Jersey Nets in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. During this game, Robinson scored 13 points, as well as getting 17 rebounds, this was also the final game of his career and for the San Antonio Spurs

Did Greg Pop tank in 1997?
Yes or No?

No. The Spurs set a then record of about 280 player games missed that season. Sean missed half with his chronic quad tendonitis. David missed his time with the sport hernia and the broken foot. AJ missed a big chunk, but they brought him back towards the end, and won like 6 of 8. If they were tanking, don't you think they would have just shut AJ down?

Yes, David had a nice last game. Now, look at the season. He played 64/82 games, 26 minutes, and averaged 8.5p/7.9r.

[The Truth #6]

Incentives to players could be interesting I suppose, but I don't think players ever tank. They are rightfully too worried about their stats and careers, though of course some players lack motivation, but I don't see that as tanking. Tanking is an organizational decision affected by player acquisitions and rotations, and of course, chronic idiocy by some team owners, but that's maybe not the same as tanking but it ends up in the same place, I suppose.

[R. DeMurre]

Incentives to players could be interesting I suppose, but I don't think players ever tank. They are rightfully too worried about their stats and careers, though of course some players lack motivation, but I don't see that as tanking. Tanking is an organizational decision affected by player acquisitions and rotations, and of course, chronic idiocy by some team owners, but that's maybe not the same as tanking but it ends up in the same place, I suppose.

The one guy I remember blatantly tanking is Vince Carter in '05. He wanted out of Toronto and he averaged 15 ppg that year, after averaging 24 ppg the year before, and 27 per with the Nets after he got traded. A good friend of mine visited Carter's restaurant in Florida a few years later, and when the meal was over he asked, "do we pay the bill at the hostess stand, or should we just... mail it in?" Still one of my all time favorite basketball related jokes!

[The Truth #6]

The one guy I remember blatantly tanking is Vince Carter in '05. He wanted out of Toronto and he averaged 15 ppg that year, after averaging 24 ppg the year before, and 27 per with the Nets after he got traded. A good friend of mine visited Carter's restaurant in Florida a few years later, and when the meal was over he asked, "do we pay the bill at the hostess stand, or should we just... mail it in?" Still one of my all time favorite basketball related jokes!

Great story! Yeah, how to best categorize players sabotaging their play to get moved. Sandbagging?

[The Truth #6]

Fair enough, I just think it could add some intrigue and frankly a boost to a team much like the scrappy Memphis run did last year. Dont forget that in addition to beating us and GSW in dramatic fashion, they took Game 1 from Jazz. Memphis has also made a nice jump this year, and you can see a world where a NOLA (or even SA though less likely) might get a similar boost next year. Obviously we don’t have a Zion like NOLA.

The other argument for it, which I support, is using the play in as one of the tools to address the terribleness of tanking. They should sweeten the pot somehow: cash to players if 9/10 earns a berth, give better lottery pick odds, allow 9/10 to lock in there lotto positioning after the 82 game season as opposed to after play-in, etc.

The league needs to brainstorm this as well. To me, it's an embarrassing situation.

Here's a random idea. Get rid of the play in tournament and have a tournament for all the non play off teams. Basically, all the ty teams. Have a tournament for them and whoever wins gets the top draft pick, so it still rewards winning and NOT losing. Not sure if players would get motivated, but the organizations would if winning got them a better draft position. It seems counter-intuitive and of course has its own challenges, but that's my preferred way of handling the extreme tanking. Fans should always want their team to win. Having to root for losing is inherently weird.

[TDomination]

so is this the game thread?
i'm actually pumped about this game, curious to see how this young team reacts playing on National TV, playoff atmosphere game on the road.

[GAustex]

He doesn’t turn the ball over much under any cir stances. What he does is go hero ball, and start chucking up contested turnaround jumpers instead of going to the rack or passing it.

First play of the game
Turnover
Then stupid foul

[Robz4000]

Spurs - 102
Pels - 113

Big daddy Val has another play-in game for the ages against the Spurs with 23/16.

One point off tbh.