Tanking has been a hot topic within the NBA this season. With a stacked draft class on the horizon, multiple teams have begun positioning themselves for a chance at a lottery pick. And while that makes sense for any roster that’s considering a rebuild, or a re-tooling process, it doesn’t appear to have sat well with NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver. As such, the league is reportedly looking into new ways to deter, or at least limit, tanking.
When speaking with Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob gave his insight into the discussion on tanking and why we shouldn’t expect to see the Warriors go down that path.
“Look, this season matters to the fans who bought tickets for this year,” Lacob said. “Hopefully, they’ll be our fans next year as well, obviously. I think you should always be trying to win and do the best you can…I saw where another owner came out today and spoke on it, [the Suns’] Mat Ishbia. I think you know, it is not in my DNA, nor in this organization’s DNA, to do that. … It’s not a good look. This is sports. We’re supposed to play to win.”
The Warriors’ recent track record backs up Lacob’s comments. With an aging core, nobody would have blamed the front office if they began positioning themselves for a rebuild. Yet, in recent seasons, the Warriors have opted to re-tool on the fly, adding extra talent where possible and developing the young talent at their disposal.
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Now, with the league potentially looking at making some changes in the summer, the benefits of tanking may be vastly reduced, and with that, teams like the Warriors, that look to remain competitive for as long as possible, could be justified in their approach.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Joe Lacob explains why the Golden State Warriors won’t tank