Success in the NBA is no different than experiencing success anywhere else. In order to sustain the high of winning, it is required to trudge through the depths of defeat.
Deep, huh?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been riding that high for about six years now, ever since they linked up Kevin Durant with Russell Westbrook. Even when James Harden was shipped off to Houston, Oklahoma City kept it going.
Right now, though, the roster is looking more like the “Oklahoma City Blunder.”
It began with a foot injury to Durant – ironically after he skipped out on the FIBA Championships to avoid injury.
And, oh my, did that snowball keep rolling or what?
One after the other Oklahoma City watched its players succumb to some kind of fracture, scrape or tear.
Take a second and feast your eyes on the half-walking infirmary that is the Thunder’s roster: Durant (foot), Westbrook (broken hand), Andre Roberson (sprained foot), Perry Jones (knee contusion), Mitch McGary (foot), Grant Jerrett (ankle), and Anthony Morrow (knee).
Seriously? Can we get a group of sick kids to go visit the Thunder in the hospital? I am sure Durant could use a balloon or two.
The Thunder are 2-5, and though all of those guys will be back sooner or later, Mark Cuban thinks Oklahoma City should throw in the towel now.
Now, ordinarily, I tend to completely disagree with Cuban – to the point where if he said the sky was blue, I would make a case for purple.
But I have to give it to him. He has a point.
Remember when the San Antonio Spurs pulled off the greatest robbery in NBA Draft history? Sorry, Boston, but you are going to have to get over losing Tim Duncan. It’s been 17 years.
San Antonio lost David Robinson to a broken foot in 1996, and low and behold, the Spurs ended up winning the draft lottery and landing Duncan.
If you do nit know what happened after that, I’m going to need the name of your rock guy because you have obviously enjoyed living under your current one.
I will say it anyway: five championships.
To be fair, San Antonio did not exactly tank. The Spurs lost the face of their franchise, and it happened to work out for the best.
However, the same principle can apply. Be bad now to be great later.
Everyone claiming tanking is ruining the league needs to grab a step ladder and hop off that high horse.
Tanking is not ruining the league. Poor drafting is ruining the league.
Think about all the blown lottery picks over the years. Think about the what-ifs and could-have-beens.
If there are a handful of teams capable of competing for a championship trophy, what sense does it make to waste money on putting an average team on the floor?
I would rather stock pile draft picks for two or three years and then unleash a vast fury of young superstars upon the rest of the league. But if you draft guys like Sergey Karasev at No. 13 or Adam Morrison at No. 3, that is when you have problems.
In the Thunder’s case, I say tank away. There is a strong possibility Durant chooses to bolt in free agency after the 2015-16 season – whether it be to Washington or New York.
Getting a top-five pick in this year’s draft could mean potentially adding a future superstar big man with the likes of Jahlil Okafor and Karl Towns Jr likely to enter the draft.
Adding talent is the best way to keep talent. Ask LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard.
If Durant does leave, adding one of those guys can soften the blow as well.
The argument against it is the Thunder probably will not have their entire team sidelined for all 82 games. However, we all know how important seeding is in the playoffs. Going up against San Antonio or Houston in the first round is much different than going up against Phoenix or Utah.
To be fair, a lot of teams in the Western Conference are solid playoff candidates, but it is all about the seeding.
If the Thunder are not at least the eighth seed come February, I will say it again – tank.
Stock up on young talent.
It is a life lesson, children. You have to give to get. Take one step backward to go two steps forward.
Do not ever blast off about how tanking is ruining the NBA. You know what ruins the NBA: taking Kwame Brown and his toddler hands with the first overall pick.
Do your homework and draft well. “Tank” you, very much.
