I was scrolling through the internet last night and saw some tagline from a random website that said something along the lines of “Denver Nuggets still not tanking”. Weird. Kind of out of nowhere, but at half way through the season, I guess it is time for these sorts of headlines to pop up.
Let me be clear, I don’t think the Nuggets make the playoffs this season. Denver sits only two games out of the final playoff spot, in a surprisingly unimpressive western conference. We’ve become so accustomed to the dominance of the west that it is strange to see a plethora of teams under .500 in the hunt.
The Jazz, Trail Blazers, Kings, and Pelicans are all jumbled with the Nuggets in the standings and will be fighting for the final playoff spot in the west. Those odds alone make it a long shot for Denver to pull off a playoff appearance.
Even the team that gets that spot is likely to match up against the Warriors, or if they’re lucky, the Spurs. Pretty much an automatic death sentence.
So that’s where the tanking question comes in. If being the eighth seed is the ceiling, shouldn’t a team do their best to position themselves for the best draft pick? Sam Hinkie thinks so.
While the 76ers rebuilding process isn’t a thing of beauty, it has the exoskeleton of what every non-championship contending team wants. Load up on young players and draft picks, let a losing record lead to high draft picks to obtain the next superstar of the league, and give young guys all the minutes they need to develop individually and as a core.
It’s a great in theory, but it’s hard to implement. The assumption that you’ll draft a franchise changing player is one of the most overrated theory in all of sports. Using the 76ers as an example, they drafted Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter Williams, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Jahlil Okafor since “the process” started. They still sit with the league’s worst record, one guy was traded away for not much, and two of them haven’t played a single minute for the team. It’s not as easy a feat to accomplish as you think.
Take away the sad story of the Sixers and there are plenty of more positive teams trying this strategy. Most NBA fans would say the Timberwolves are a team on the rise with the last two number one picks leading the way. Still, they are 14th in the west and not sniffing the playoffs anytime soon.
It’s not to say they won’t make it to an elite status in the west eventually, but even one of the most anticipated players in Andrew Wiggins doesn’t lead to immediate success or guaranteed success at all.
Amidst all the arguments for losing, it makes a pretty good argument trying to win. Even if that means finding yourselves in the middle of the road.
The tanking arguments promote losing to add individual talent, but it doesn’t take into account the culture it creates. Less fans in the stands, turnover on the bench and in the front office, and a decrease in free agent attraction. Players want to win now and it’s hard for them to see a big picture.
Finding yourself on the verge of a lottery pick may not get you a number one pick, but it builds a TEAM up. Just seeing Mudiay, Harris, and Barton grow together this year shows the potential for success in years to come. As Mike Malone develops these guys and adds additional assets, the Nuggets organization looks to build around what they have while adding the best talent available in the draft position they land.
There is a good chance the Nuggets end up with a pick somewhere between 7 and 12, a real crap-shoot like number. The Warriors last three picks in this range were Harrison Barnes, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry so that’s worked out pretty well. Our own Emmanuel Mudiay was taken at seven overall last year.
It is ok not to have a top five draft pick. It doesn’t mean Denver will sit idly over the next few years wading in the same spot in the west. Instead of focusing on losing, they are focusing on developing the talent they have and building a winning culture.
More from Nugg Love
- Was trading Bones Hyland a mistake for the Denver Nuggets?
- Did Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets break Anthony Davis?
- Denver Nuggets stars face serious disrespect in recent NBA rankings poll
- What will it take for Denver Nuggets star to become ‘inevitable?’
- Denver Nuggets NBA Training Camp report, other preseason dates to know
I’m looking forward to all the winning and losing to come in the next couple of months because I believe in THIS process much more than others around the league. The fight that this team shows against top talent is exciting basketball. The losses are ugly, but expected from a young lineup.
Instead of losing 65 games to try and land Ben Simmons, I’m really hoping the Nuggets win 30 games and finish 10th in the west. This sets a goal to beat next season with playoff aspirations a realistic goal within two years.
Tanking might be the answer for some teams, but the Nuggets are growing and a giving every game their maximum energy is the best way to keep that trajectory on the rise.