With the Lakers poor start to the season and little in the way of optimism, fans have rightfully begun to wonder what should be our priority this year? While winning games may make players happy and be what they strive for, is it better for the team in the long run to lose games?
We tried to answer that question and diver deeper into the debate to see whether the Lakers should be tanking this season.
Do you think the Lakers should be tanking this season?
Harry Burden: Should the Lakers tank? My mind says yes, yet my heart says no. The past two years have seen our franchise stroll into strange territory; a land that not only hands no temporary relief to the players, but also one that makes no assurances for the future, either.
Tanking makes sense, especially when you’ve got a great opportunity to pick highly talented players who are very close to each other in regards to their personal development. On the other hand, few would suggest that rebuilding through the draft is the most efficient means by which a team can establish stardom in the modern NBA; it’s certainly not ‘the Lakers way’.
I’ll be cheering on Kobe, Hill and Swaggy P all year long, yet I won’t be losing sleep if we fall by ten points on the road to the Jazz. What’s perhaps the biggest tease is that, ultimately, we could end up with no pick whatsoever. It’s a doozie, folks.
Perhaps the smartest of warriors know when they’re beaten…..
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Scott Asai: No, it’s the Lakers front office’s job to put a competitive roster on the floor. They haven’t done that so far, so the majority of the responsibility falls on management versus coaching or players. All the coaches and players can do is perform at the best of their abilities. It’s their job.
Matt Patterson: No I don’t think the Lakers should be tanking. Purposely putting a losing mindset into the young guys’ mentality is a bad idea for the future, plus it looks bad for the franchise. That being said, the Lakers really don’t need to tank to get a top five pick. If they could just go out every night and compete, not only would that be good experience for the young guys, but the Lakers will still lose a majority of their games.
Jacob Rude: There’s a difference between tanking and doing what the 76ers are currently doing, which is making an embarrassment of themselves. I’m not convinced Mitch Kupchak ISN’T already stealth tanking, namely by keeping players like Wesley Johnson, Ronnie Price, and bringing in Carlos Boozer.
This team is not good as is. Once the trade deadline comes around, offloading the assets you have (Jordan Hill, Jeremy Lin) and finishing out the year makes the most sense and would further worsen the team. You don’t have to go to the extremes of Philly to ensure we keep out top five draft pick this year.
Daniel Tran: Does a tauntaun smell just as bad on the outside as it does the inside? Yes, they should absolutely tank. To paraphrase an editorial written by our own Valerie Morales, it is their turn to suck and it is time to accept that. They set themselves up to improve through the draft this upcoming year as long as they keep their record among the worse in the league. Tanking is the only option.