The Tuesday TANK report
Each week, we take a look at where the Sixers rank among some of the teams competing for the top lottery picks.
TANK Power Rankings (based on chances to finish with No. 1 lottery odds)
- New York (10-43)
- Minnesota (11-42)
- PHILADELPHIA (12-41)
- LA Lakers (13-40)
- Orlando (17-39)
- Sacramento (18-34)
- Utah (19-34)
- Denver (20-33)
- Indiana (21-33)
- Detroit (21-33)
- Boston (20-31)
Not quite tanking, but sitting in “basketball purgatory”.
- Charlotte (22-30)
- Brooklyn (21-31)
- New Orleans (27-26)
TANK observations of the week:
- Paul George wants to come back and play in March. For tanking purposes, it may be best for Indiana if he waits until April, or at least late March.
- With the DeMarcus Cousins to Boston rumors, it sets up quite a change in dynamic in tanking if the trade were to actually happen (I’d be surprised if it did). Boston would no longer be “tankers” and would have their star to build around, as well as a decent lottery pick. Sacramento would extend their tanking, which has been going on for years, for probably at least three more seasons.
- If Portland does trade LaMarcus Aldridge, fearing they cannot extend him, it would make for an interesting two months in the West. Portland would instantly no longer become contenders of any type, and then perhaps they even fall out of the West race with all the playoff contenders fighting for eight seeds.
- This is the week where essentially we will find out who is a tanker and who is not. When the trade deadline passes, the dust will settle and we likely will know who is serious about a run and who has no intention at sniffing the playoffs, with lottery thoughts in mind.
TANK games to look out for this week:
- Friday: Pacers vs. Sixers
- Friday: Celtics vs. Kings
- Friday: Nets at Lakers
