Approximately a third of the 2013-2014 NBA season has transpired and it’s time for many of professional basketball’s teams to do a little mirror checking. Take a good long look at that roster you’ve got there and decide if it’s time to go all in or hang em up and start looking towards next year. Many a general manager should be looking at their current lineup and feeling a bit like one of Dennis Rodman’s teammates in North Korea, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. A league were there are 3-4 main contenders and a laundry list of pretenders is not atypical in any season, however, this season is simply four contenders and a slew of teams destined to be playoff fodder. Mix in the potential featured in this coming draft and to make a one-and-done run in the playoffs would be a worse decision than signing Rudy Gay to a max contract.
Tanking has become such a polarizing topic, some believe to want your team to tank is to remove yourself from fandom all together, if you root for your team to lose you were never a fan to begin with. While others believe in playing the odds, if you’re not going to win a championship, well then it’s time to start “Missin’ for Wiggins” or “Mishandle for Randle.” In today’s NBA the disparity between the contenders and the rest of the bunch is a divide more massive than the regret felt by an authentic Andrew Bynum Cavaliers jersey purchaser. There are a few exceptions to the rule (2004 Pistons, 2008 Celtics) but for the most part the only way to become a championship caliber team is to possess a transcendent player, typically acquired in the draft. Couple that with most free agent’s desire to play in a large, mostly warm markets, and much of the NBA is left high and dry, replaying the cycle over and over. Unless you’re LA, New York or Miami you have to be bad to get good.
Just take a quick look at the Eastern conference, there are currently three teams with winning records, and one of them is a Horford-less Atlanta Hawks that have no chance of winning a ring. The two best teams in the league are clearly the Pacers and the Heat, if you are not one of those two teams, get out of the Playoffs as quickly as you can. The result may be a watered down league with fewer competitive teams/games, but realistically that is already the case. The Bobcats aren’t poised for a deep Playoff push, the Magic don’t have a good core nucleus of young players that just need to wet their delicate feet into Playoff waters. The teams are just straight up bad, wether they compete or tank you’d probably never notice. Even if you do have a good group of young players, if you’re lucky enough to draft one of the potential stars of this draft, you’re looking at 5 plus years before said player has developed an NBA body and game. That previous core is now gone, save for but a few players.
In the West there’s two teams, the Thunder and the Spurs. I’d love to sit here and believe that the Trailblazers are a legitimate title contender, but the obviousness of the fact that they aren’t prevents me from doing so. There are definitely more competitive teams out West than East, you have the Clippers, Rockets and Warriors, all cool teams… None of which will be winning a championship as presently constituted. Aside from the Clippers (They’re really just not as good as many think they are) the Warriors and Rockets have been fairly disappointing. These may be the only two teams in the non-contender bracket that should just roll the dice and see what happens. As previously stated the two best teams in the NBA play in the East, the West is mostly a two team race, but Portland, Houston and Golden State could play the role of upsetter if given the opportunity.
All that’s well and good but in all truthfulness, there is one simple notion that must ring through the ears of every fan and GM league-wide. A thought so dark and depressing, yet so possible that it must be considered…
The Pacers are the best team in the NBA and they are going to lose to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals. We all know it’s going to happen. If you don’t, you’re probably a fan of a “competitive” franchise, deluding yourself into believing that your plucky underdog team is going to shock the world. It isn’t. Whichever team possesses the player known as Lebron James has a distinct advantage in any series. The Miami Heat have a Lebron James, the 29 other teams in the NBA do not have a Lebron James. Does this mean everyone should give up and wait until Lebron retires before daring to compete? Of course not. What it means is that the level of celebration the transpires once the Heat are dethroned should rival Mardi Gras, Carnival and that weird color festival in India combined. They will be beat, but until it happens they’re the benchmark the rest of the NBA hopes to achieve.
So ask yourself NBA teams, am I the one? Are we the team that will end Miami’s reign of terror and strike back for the good people of basketball land? Help us Indiana Pacers, you’re our only hope! If you’re not, look no further than one of the Lottery’s own slogans, “You gotta play to win.” Get in that lottery and let lady luck determine wether you’re about to be a dynasty or repeat the cycle for years to come! Let’s just all agree that after we root for our own teams to win the lottery, we secondarily root for the Bucks. In your heart of hearts you know they deserve the next NBA superstar. Sure whoever it is will leave after their rookie contract is up, but let’s give the good people of Milwaukee something to believe in, at least for a little while. Both of their season ticket holders have paid their dues and suffered long enough.
Tank you and good night.