Why the NBA will **** over the Spurs for the foreseeable future

[baseline bum]

In the last few years a lot of teams have load managed and I recall only the Spurs getting fined... the season before last when the last half was brutal and they'd just come off covid. Other teams have flagrantly done it and walked free. The guy is a menace and has a clear double standard. He both blames the Spurs for not giving Kawhi to the Lakers and is punishing the Spurs for what the Clippers are currently doing.

Yeah no big deal when Miami load managed a game against the Spurs and got it postponed because they didn't want to play their stars in a back to back.

[John B]

One way to get rid of tanking is to have no built in odds for the draft picks. Any non playoff team has a shot for the number one pick.

Way to incorporate that in our tanking season

[exstatic]

The problems began when he started load managing himself. Or his uncle did it for him.

Nope. The whole load management thing came to a head in 2013 when Pop put the big 3 + LDN on a plane home instead of playing them in a NT game against Miami.

[Seventyniner]

Nope. The whole load management thing came to a head in 2013 when Pop put the big 3 + LDN on a plane home instead of playing them in a NT game against Miami.

I think we're talking about different things. I was only talking about Number Two. I agree that the event you're talking about was the catalyst for Silver's comment.

[TheChillFactor]

One way to get rid of tanking is to have no built in odds for the draft picks. Any non playoff team has a shot for the number one pick.

This is absolutely the way to do it. The league got mad when Orlando won the lottery back to back and got Shaq and Penny, but the odds of that happening are really low.

This would eliminate the teams that strip their rosters down to nothing - like current OKC or the Process Sixers - because there's no difference between being the worst or the 14th-worst.

Equal-weighted lottery kills tanking

[TD 21]

They already have (see the S bag saga and subsequent draft lottery outcomes).

Wojnarowski wrote a great article back in his days at Yahoo! when the Spurs made the '13 Finals, about how the league (Stern specifically) has long been at odds with them, from load management to being ratings killers, to their lack of marketability to casuals and refusal to play the part of "partners" like previous dynasties/superstars had.

One way to get rid of tanking is to have no built in odds for the draft picks. Any non playoff team has a shot for the number one pick.

That'd be incredibly stupid. In a league where the glamor markets already have virtually every advantage as is, you really want to tempt this shady league with their pets (Warriors, Lakers, Raptors, etc.) many of which were recently in the lottery, to magically jump into the top 4 if not win it outright?

At least right now, if the Warriors for example, are eliminated in the play-in, like in '21 and jump from 14 to top 1-4, it'd look obvious.

[rascal]

They already have (see the S bag saga and subsequent draft lottery outcomes).

Wojnarowski wrote a great article back in his days at Yahoo! when the Spurs made the '13 Finals, about how the league (Stern specifically) has long been at odds with them, from load management to being ratings killers, to their lack of marketability to casuals and refusal to play the part of "partners" like previous dynasties/superstars had.




That'd be incredibly stupid. In a league where the glamor markets already have virtually every advantage as is, you really want to tempt this shady league with their pets (Warriors, Lakers, Raptors, etc.) many of which were recently in the lottery, to magically jump into the top 4 if not win it outright?

At least right now, if the Warriors for example, are eliminated in the play-in, like in '21 and jump from 14 to top 1-4, it'd look obvious.

The league doesn't fix the draft.

[rascal]

You have the team representatives present so no fix of the draft is possible.

[offset formation]

Enjoy the tank gentlemen. If you aren't prepared for the process, then the process will chew you up and spit you out. We are gonna suck really badly.

But....

There will be some really cool developments, hopefully Sochan really inspires us. Maybe Branham shows out some. Maybe Barlow inspires us that we have a coordinated big that can dribble and bang a little.

Maybe Vassell and Keldon take on a role of being young vets that lead the team to hard fought losses.

Or....

Maybe we just suck. Maybe Sochan shows he wasn't worthy of the 9th pick. Primo continues to whelm. Branham looks outmanned. Wesley is nothing but a chucker.

Either way, prepare thine anuses for a pounding because we will suck ass unlike anything seen since at least 1998.

[TD 21]

The league doesn't fix the draft.

You have the team representatives present so no fix of the draft is possible.

Sure they don't/it's not.

[offset formation]

I think we're talking about different things. I was only talking about Number Two. I agree that the event you're talking about was the catalyst for Silver's comment.

We're all big boys in here. You can just say the word poop or instead of Number Two

[heyheymymy]

Puts that Spurs #1 pick teaser during the draft selection test run in new light if this is not a joke and the call out is part of a general longstanding beef between SA and the Association.

[longhorn]

Not exclusively, but it played an integral part in it.

I think Spurs fans more than anything see the hypocrisy in him outright refusing to play because he thought the Spurs misdiagnosed him and were forcing him to play while hurt...while the Spurs diagnosis was that he had a chronic issue that would need to be managed for the rest of his career. And by refusing to play he tanked his trade value due to all the mystery of how healthy he may or may not have been.

Then he has subsequently strongarmed both his post-SA teams into load management due to a chronic knee issue, pretty much proving the Spurs' initial diagnosis was indeed accurate, and he was just an asshole whose Uncle wanted to get him to LA by any means necessary.

I kinda can't believe we're still here in the year 2022 and some Spurs fans don't understand why Kawhi's actions pre and post-trade have him hated by Spurs fans. We couldn't give a single less that he does load management, it's the fact he tanked his trade value and made the Spurs out to be bad guys when they are the NBA organization that prioritizes a conservative approach to player health more than any other.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Lakerstan sucking off the reigning commish per par


Nothing to see here folks, move along

[R. DeMurre]

I think Spurs fans more than anything see the hypocrisy in him outright refusing to play because he thought the Spurs misdiagnosed him and were forcing him to play while hurt...while the Spurs diagnosis was that he had a chronic issue that would need to be managed for the rest of his career. And by refusing to play he tanked his trade value due to all the mystery of how healthy he may or may not have been.

Then he has subsequently strongarmed both his post-SA teams into load management due to a chronic knee issue, pretty much proving the Spurs' initial diagnosis was indeed accurate, and he was just an asshole whose Uncle wanted to get him to LA by any means necessary.

I kinda can't believe we're still here in the year 2022 and some Spurs fans don't understand why Kawhi's actions pre and post-trade have him hated by Spurs fans. We couldn't give a single less that he does load management, it's the fact he tanked his trade value and made the Spurs out to be bad guys when they are the NBA organization that prioritizes a conservative approach to player health more than any other.

You're kind of contradicting yourself here. If the Spurs were correct about it being a chronic issue that would need constant attention and future management, why would you say he was "strong-arming' his post -SA teams? Wouldn't future load management be the reasonable plan for a guy with a chronic issue?

[Dancelot]

Well, we had to make up some excuse for Kawhi’s phantom injuries ever season, gotta call it something right?

[longhorn]

You're kind of contradicting yourself here. If the Spurs were correct about it being a chronic issue that would need constant attention and future management, why would you say he was "strong-arming' his post -SA teams? Wouldn't future load management be the reasonable plan for a guy with a chronic issue?

Strong-arming is maybe not the proper term--I mainly meant that it's clear that his camp has dictated that he needs load management to his subsequent teams, not the other way around--but the rest of my point doesn't hinge on that verbiage.

His side claimed SA mismanaged/misdiagnosed his chronic knee issue, then has subsequently done nothing to suggest that that is the case. That hypocrisy and his behavior pre-trade, not the fact he's load managed, is why Spurs fans hate Kawhi.

[R. DeMurre]

Strong-arming is maybe not the proper term--I mainly meant that it's clear that his camp has dictated that he needs load management to his subsequent teams, not the other way around--but the rest of my point doesn't hinge on that verbiage.

His side claimed SA mismanaged/misdiagnosed his chronic knee issue, then has subsequently done nothing to suggest that that is the case. That hypocrisy and his behavior pre-trade, not the fact he's load managed, is why Spurs fans hate Kawhi.

Meh, I think Spurs' fans naturally make too much of it because they didn't get to keep their superstar. It's understandable that they feel this way, but in the end I was never overly surprised that a shy and socially awkward black guy born & raised in Compton who probably has Asperger Syndrome wanted to return to the familiarity of his hometown and maybe didn't enjoy being coached by a short-tempered white ex-military guy with a temperament like Pop.

[DAF86]

Sure they don't/it's not.

Didn't the Knicks get incredible unlucky with recent lottery odds? If the draft was fixed, one would believe they would fix it so that one of the top 2 markets doesn't get royally ed.

[R. DeMurre]

Didn't the Knicks get incredible unlucky with recent lottery odds? If the draft was fixed, one would believe they would fix it so that one of the top 2 markets doesn't get royally ed.

The great thing about the "NBA is fixed" conspiracy theory is that every online chat site has tons of fans that agree with it, but each collection of theorists are certain that it's their team that is being screwed. No one in L.A., N.Y., or Miami is saying "whoa, it's cool that Adam Silver cheats in our favor, that's so cool!"

[heyheymymy]

I agree longhorn, been major vindication for SA to see Kawhi is clearly dealing with what Spurs medical apparently correctly diagnosed all along.

Meanwhile it's lose-lose for the Spurs:

Silver says SA is too load management while nephew is saying SA forced him to play hurt. Wtf. Is SA conservative or not?

[TD 21]

Meh, I think Spurs' fans naturally make too much of it because they didn't get to keep their superstar. It's understandable that they feel this way, but in the end I was never overly surprised that a shy and socially awkward black guy born & raised in Compton who probably has Asperger Syndrome wanted to return to the familiarity of his hometown and maybe didn't enjoy being coached by a short-tempered white ex-military guy with a temperament like Pop.

You can't be serious? It has little (nothing in my case) to do with S bag wanting out for whatever reason(s) and everything to do with how he went about it (and the league allowing him to do so) and how his actions decimated this franchise to the point that the effects are still being felt today with no end in sight, as well as how the agenda driven national media has portrayed the two sides since.

Didn't the Knicks get incredible unlucky with recent lottery odds? If the draft was fixed, one would believe they would fix it so that one of the top 2 markets doesn't get royally ed.

The Knicks have long thought to have benefitted from the first lottery being rigged so naturally the league has steered clear of them since.

Almost without fail, when a team needs a new arena, lottery luck.

When a superstar leaves a non glamor and/or small market high and dry, lottery luck (with one glaring example).

When it's a glamor market you know the league cares deeply about who needs fortune to regain footing (like the Lakers magically jumping to top 4 in '19, which clinched the Davis trade or the Warriors conveniently retaining the pick that otherwise would have conveyed to the Timberwolves in '20, or the Craptors jumping into the top 4 in '20), lottery luck.

Before you reply with "what about Robinson/Duncan", they predated the league's hatred of this franchise.

[R. DeMurre]

The Knicks have long thought to have benefitted from the first lottery being rigged so naturally the league has steered clear of them since.

Almost without fail, when a team needs a new arena, lottery luck.

When a superstar leaves a non glamor and/or small market high and dry, lottery luck (with one glaring example).

When it's a glamor market you know the league cares deeply about who needs fortune to regain footing (like the Lakers magically jumping to top 4 in '19, which clinched the Davis trade or the Warriors conveniently retaining the pick that otherwise would have conveyed to the Timberwolves in '20, or the Craptors jumping into the top 4 in '20), lottery luck.

Before you reply with "what about Robinson/Duncan", they predated the league's hatred of this franchise.

The last three winners of the #1 pick have been Orlando, Detroit, and Minnesota... all non-glamor teams. Why did the fix not take effect in those scenarios? Why would the fix be to give the Lakers the #4 pick in 2019, and not the #1? Wouldn't that have paired the biggest star of the draft with the biggest star in the league? Again, every NBA site I look at it filled with guys who say the league is fixed, but on every site the vast majority of them agree that it's fixed against their team, just as you think it is against the Spurs. The Knicks are an enormous market and have stunk forever... no fix there, for some reason. You believe the Ewing Draft conspiracy from 35 years ago, but what has happened since then? has the pro NY conspiracy gone dormant in order to hide it more effectively? It makes no sense.

[TD 21]

The last three winners of the #1 pick have been Orlando, Detroit, and Minnesota... all non-glamor teams. Why did the fix not take effect in those scenarios? Why would the fix be to give the Lakers the #4 pick in 2019, and not the #1? Wouldn't that have paired the biggest star of the draft with the biggest star in the league? Again, every NBA site I look at it filled with guys who say the league is fixed, but on every site the vast majority of them agree that it's fixed against their team, just as you think it is against the Spurs. The Knicks are an enormous market and have stunk forever... no fix there, for some reason. You believe the Ewing Draft conspiracy from 35 years ago, but what has happened since then? has the pro NY conspiracy gone dormant in order to hide it more effectively? It makes no sense.

I detailed specific scenarios where they help certain teams (from '14-'19, when the Lakers were repeatedly projected to pick near the top, I believe they never slipped a spot conveniently). They've obviously got to pick their spots and attempt to be as subtle as possible about it.

Again, the Ewing conspiracy has hurt the Knicks.

[R. DeMurre]

I detailed specific scenarios where they help certain teams (from '14-'19, when the Lakers were repeatedly projected to pick near the top, I believe they never slipped a spot conveniently). They've obviously got to pick their spots and attempt to be as subtle as possible about it.

Odd that the league vetoed the trade of Chris Paul to L.A. in 2011.