One other point - this team as constructed was never going to make the playoffs, and getting to .500 was never really realistic, any objective fan pretty much knew it going in. There are still problems with long term and untradeable contracts. So I can't say the team tanked, but even I, as cynical as I am, was headed in the right direction -- until December that is.
Dude what are you talking about we were headed in the right direction and definitely could have made the playoffs. And how you can say we wernt gonna be a .500 team is mind boggling. We beat Portland, LaC, Phoenix, Memphis(ya I know), San Antonio, and, Chicago. Those are playoffs teams how you come up with we are an under .500 team off that is just crazy. We were 9-8 before DMC got sick than in December we played Toronto, Indy, orlando, Utah, LaL, Houston, det, okc, Milwaukee, LaL, GS, Phoenix, NY, Brooklyn, and Boston. The way we were playing + being close in these games without DMC I'd say we would have atleast been 11-4 at worst this month putting us at 20-12 putting us 6 in the west and this is with no bench if we has a decent bench we don't blow games vs Memphis/Dallas would have made is 22-10 if DMC doesn't get sick. You add a couple bench players and we are a top 5 team this year. Portland/Toronto didn't tank to become contenders they add a bench which took them there. I'll ask who has the better starters keep in mind our starters were number 1 in defense and were dominate.
Collison/Ben/Gay/JT/Cousins
Lillard/Wes/Batum/ALD/Robin
Lowery/DD/Ross/Amir/Jonas
I'll take our starters over those 2 contenders espiscially with Ben improving by the day.
Even with DMC injury if we keep malone no way we loose to MLK/Phx/ Brooklyn/ and Boston with cousins there. We would be 17-15 and the 8th seed if we kept malone and we have an easy march schedule full of east teams. At the break you can add to the bench with a trade. Example Nik/ DWill/landry/ray for kevin Martin/ Thaddeus young. Now you have 2 go to scorers off the bench add to casspi and ray. Instantly you have a a good bench that has the potential to out perform almost any bench in the league. With that bench/our starters at worst we are the 9seed which is an A+ season although I think we would make the playoffs when you look at our schedule after the break. If we made the playoffs I think we beat Portland or Houston and we could scare Memphis. This is all in Malones 2nd year with that success you can have a malone/cousins combo for 10 years. You know what all good teams have in common? Consistency at the coach spot we had that here and ****ed it over.
But hey let's go with plan B, tank. You kill the moral of the team Gay/JT are looking for a way out cousins is slowly becoming pre malone cousins. All this for a ****ing pick which will be 8-12. A pick which likely won't make a difference next year or the following year. Look at Nik he's suppose to be ready and he's struggling and he was a shooter. Look at the # 2 pick he was mediocre and he is considered a franchise player where we will pick we will get a role player who won't play his first 2 year. If we arnt good next year Gay will leave and if you think we will get talent close to gay comming through free agency than I've got some bad news for you.
