Why Los Angeles Lakers Should Embrace Tanking
With the season nearing its midpoint, it is clear that the Lakers have no chance of making the playoffs. So it seems that sooner rather than later, the Lakers would be best served by embracing the concept of “tanking.”
The concept of tanking is not new, and has been much talked about this season primarily because of the horror show/dumpster fire that is the 76ers. Although there has been much outcry about how the 76ers are conducting themselves as an organization, it wasn’t enough to convince the owners to pass a new NBA draft lottery system that was designed to discourage tanking.
Regardless, there doesn’t seem to be much public support for the 76ers rebuilding plan. Last year, the 76ers spent high draft picks on players that were not going to play any minutes this seasons because of injuries (see Embid, Joel) or being overseas (see Saric, Dario). By doing so, in conjunction with fielding a bare boned roster with fringe NBA players most fans have never heard of (and no, Andrei Kirilenko doesn’t count because he won’t play a game for them this year), the 76ers have ensured that they will likely have a top pick in this year’s upcoming draft.
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But is this a sound strategy?
First, there is never any guarantee that high draft picks will work out, so it seems foolish to bank solely on them turning around your franchise. Second, intentionally fielding a roster that is so bad that it may set a new record for least wins in a season (which is 9 wins and is held by, you guessed it, the 76ers) breeds a culture of losing that could hang over the franchise for years.
But more importantly, how can a franchise intentionally subject its fans, season ticket holders, sponsors, beat writers, etc. to this? And for how many more years?
Given the embarrassment that is the 76ers, the Lakers have understandably distanced themselves as far as possible from the concept of tanking. Jeanie Buss went as far as to say that it is “unforgivable.” Mitch Kupchak has also consistently maintained that the Lakers will not tank. These public statements make sense, as the Lakers are a proud and storied franchise that has had unprecedented success for decades.
But there is no escaping the reality that the Lakers draft pick will go to the Phoenix Suns if it is not in the top 5 as a result of the ill-fated Steve Nash trade, prompting even Magic Johnson to say the Lakers should lose every game. So what should the Lakers do?
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Embrace the concept of tanking, but change the narrative.
Unlike the 76ers roster, the Lakers roster is full of young players that could develop into starting caliber NBA players or, at the very least, top notch bench players. If the Lakers are really that concerned about being accused of “tanking” (which they really shouldn’t be) they should simply change the narrative by stating the obvious: because the playoffs are not happening, it is in their best interest to get as good a look as possible at their younger players.
This can be accomplished by giving these players the maximum opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. As result, the Lakers will be in a better position to determine who should be part of their long term plans, which will impact the moves they make during free agency and who they take in the upcoming draft. Of course, by doing this the Lakers will also likely finish the season with a poor record and, depending on how the ping pong balls bounce, potentially a top 5 pick.
Here’s how it could be done:
Waive Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Price
The Lakers should waive Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Price before March 1, 2015, which is the deadline for players to be eligible for the playoffs if signed by another team. Neither player likely figures into the Lakers long term plans (and even if they did, they could both be signed in the off-season), and this would give them both the opportunity to sign with a playoff team.
Trade Jordan Hill
The Lakers should attempt to trade Jordan Hill at the deadline, even if all they can get is a second round pick (assuming, of course, that Hill consents to the trade). Despite being a starter and seeing an increase in minutes this season, Hill remains frustratingly inconsistent. At times, he will show flashes of a decent post game, shot blocking ability, and even a midrange shot, but he seems incapable of putting these all together on a routine basis.
Even Hill’s rebounding, his calling card, is down this year. Indeed, despite playing 8 more minutes a game, he is only averaging .3 more on the offensive boards and .5 more in total rebounds. Based on this, it seems inconceivable that the Lakers would pick up his team option at $9 million, as he is simply not worth that salary and that money would be better spent elsewhere this off-season.
Making the moves like those above will give younger players like Jeremy Lin, Ed Davis, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Clarkson, and even Tarik Black a greater opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, putting the Lakers in a much better position to assess the team after the season.
Obviously, these moves will also likely give the Lakers a better chance at keeping their draft pick this year. If anyone accuses the Lakers of tanking they should simply embrace it but change the narrative, which is exactly what they did at the trade deadline last year when they sent Steve Blake to the Golden State Warriors.
Heck, even Phil Jackson seems to be embracing tanking these days.