The NBA has been really deep with quality teams this year. Because of that, the inexperienced Detroit Pistons can go all-out to win and feel safe they will still have the best chance in the NBA Draft Lottery.
It used to be Cleveland and Golden State were always in the NBA finals and there was not much the other 28 teams could do to stop them. However, with LeBron James older, Klay Thompson of the Warriors coming back from serious injury, and Kyrie Irving not playing for the Nets because, who knows? there is hope for other clubs to go far in the playoffs.
Catching lightning in a bottle and reaching a conference final, like the Atlanta Hawks last year, Denver Nuggets year before and Portland Trail Blazers two years ago, is now something many general managers are shooting for.
Additionally, the last two drafts have been pretty strong and deep, meaning the weaker NBA teams are actually getting players who will help be more competitive, not the usual busts most poorly run organizations end up taking.
With the additional advent of the play-in tournaments, it means you only have to finish 10th out of the 15 teams in the respective conferences to make post-season play. In Los Angeles, Miami or San Francisco, that may be no big deal (although the Warriors and Lakers were in the play-in last year) but to teams in Sacramento and Cleveland, it would be a big deal.
Due to the parity, opportunity, and the need for GMs and Coaches to save their jobs by showing some kind of progress, the number of quality teams in the NBA this season is quite deep. Which means the teams looking just to purely ‘tank’ is lower than normal.
That means a team like the Pistons, looking to gain experience and chemistry and learn what their young players can, and can not, do, really can go all-out and try to win every game. In almost every case, the opponent will have much more experience, and be deeper on the bench, making Detroit serious underdogs almost every time they will take the floor.
Winning some games against tough competition will be a good learning experience for the young Pistons players. And pretty much everyone they will face can be considered tough competition.
Ranks of tanking NBA teams thin
The only NBA teams that are truly not making a run for the post-season it seems, are Orlando and Detroit.
Houston and Oklahoma City were in that category, and might return to tanking, but that have been on winning streaks of late. The Rockets have won seven straight and OKC has notched some nice wins (not counting the 73 point loss to Memphis). Both are only 2.5 games out of the 10th spot in the Western Conference.
Remember, players have no incentive to tank, losing just decreases their value for future contracts. And both Houston and Thunder fan bases would be thrilled to get into even the play-in tournament.
Rebuilding gets kind of boring after a while.
The way the NBA draft lottery works, the bottom three teams have the same percentage of ping pong balls. So if Detroit has the worst, or third-worst record, at the end of the season, their odds of getting the No. 1 pick do not change.
That does not mean they get No. 1 again (it took 51 years to get it last time), but their chances will not be different.
As of now, unless things change dramatically, the Pistons will not have a record better than three other NBA teams. That may not be optimal, it certainly would be more fun to be in a playoff race, even if for 10th place, but it gives coach Dwane Casey some freedom.
Last year, many Pistons fans had mixed feelings when they won a game. They were happy for the victory, but also concerned it might endanger their chances at a high draft pick..
The way the NBA is this season, relax and enjoy, root as much as you want for a Detroit victory. At the end of the season, they still will have a really good chance for a really good draft choice,