Letters to the Editor
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If The Dallas Coach
Would prefer a play-off matchup with Golden State and let someone else get the Clippers, and he can do something to make that more likely, he would be in dereliction of duty if he didn't do it.
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Tanking is part of the game
I guess I don't know where all of this moral purity has come from in the name of stopping NBA teams from tanking games. Sometimes in sports, as in life, it is advantageous to intentionally lose now in the hopes of gaining later. Whether it's a better playoff matchup or a better chance at landing a franchise player or shorting a stock, sometimes losing in the short term is a strategy for winning in the long term. I'm not sure what's so wrong with this.
If I was a Mavs fan, I'd be happy that my best players are getting some much-needed rest after playing 80 games right before the playoffs start. Once the Mavs lost the chance to win 70 games, what does it matter what their regular season record is? Is there some prize for winning the regular season I wasn't aware of? Likewise, if I was a Celtics fan, I'd be happy that they were amassing ping pong balls via losses, especially in a draft where there are 2 seemingly can't-miss prospects. Isn't it a greater disservice to fans of a franchise to not do everything they can to land Oden or Durant? In that situation, winning is actually tanking, as it's costing the franchise a chance at a much quicker turnaround.
We seem to have this preoccupation in America with maintaining this boy-scoutish idea of purity in sports. We want our teams to scratch and claw and make every front office decision possible to gain an edge, but heaven forbid if a team goes out for a game and gives less than its best effort, even if it's toward a larger goal in the end (like Bears' fans were enraged that the Bears moped through their last regular season game against the Packers ... nevermind that the rest may have contributed to their Super Bowl run).
I guess I just don't see what the big deal is. If we're worried about the paying fan who shows up to see a stinker, well Joe Fan should know that if he goes to one of these "meaningless" games, he might not see a barn burner. What's so wrong with that?
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Tanking at the bottom
The tanking at the bottom for a better shot at the Oden/Durant lottery picks has been a lot more obvious and going on a lot longer. Read some of the Sports Guy's columns the past couple of weeks.
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What about CFB?
I don't want to make too big of deal about this, but I would like to point something out: It's interesting to hear someone complaign that playoff systems make many end-of-season games meaningless. Do they use those same arguments come December when everyone is writing about how college football needs a playoff? No, of course not. Everyone sings a different tune then.
The current BCS system - for all it's drawbacks - has at least one good thing going for it. It makes EVERY "regular season" D-IA game meaningful.
Go Hokies.
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The Race For 8th!!!
It seems like every year King pens a column delineating the evils of the 3rd place wildcard playoff spot in baseball...but that issue never seems to surface when it comes to basketball and its 8th place post season cutoff.
Imagine how exciting regular season basketball would be if NO ONE was in the playoffs until the last game or two? If only four NBA teams made it to the playoffs? If the last month of the regular season game really meant something to the best teams? It would take the most boring regular season in sports, followed by the most boring playoff in sports, and turn it into the most exciting.
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Warriors guarantee
What the Warriors guaranteed themselves last night is a non-losing record. Of course, since the play the Trailing Blazers tonight, they're close to assured of an actual winning record.
As for teams in a playoff race meeting teams that have no reason to play hard, it's just part of the luck factor. Some teams got to play Phoenix when Steve Nash was hurt, it's really just the same thing.
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Useless NHL comparison
Part of me wants to agree with you but… If a coach played all his starters prior to the playoff, and that team gets bounced in the first round, he would be accused of not sufficiently resting his players.
The same thing happened during the last regular season game in the NHL (FYI - the playoff are on now, in case you missed it…). Toronto fans were up in arms because the Devils had elected to give Brodeur a rest and start their backup against the Islanders (an Islander win would have bumped the Leafs out of the playoffs). But really, if you were the Devil’s coach, would you start your franchise player - the guy that had played all but 3 of your regular season games – right before the playoffs in a meaningless game? I wouldn’t. Then again, I’m a Sens fan, so I may be a little biased.
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Amused reply
Big Paulie It seems like every year King pens a column delineating the evils of the 3rd place wildcard playoff spot in baseball...but that issue never seems to surface when it comes to basketball and its 8th place post season cutoff.
When I first started reading your letter, I thought you were going to complain about how much I've harped on this very issue, not that it "never seems to surface when it comes to basketball." The number of playoff teams, resulting meaninglessness of the "regular" season, the pennant races consisting of mediocre teams striving for eighth place, the best teams' playoff spots being basically assured by Christmas: I would say I've written more about that set of issues than anything else related to the NBA over the last five years.
You're not required to read 'em all, of course. Just funny to me.
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The ultimate pointless game...
...will be played tonight in Salt Lake City. The fourth seeded Houston Rockets will visit the fifth seeded Utah Jazz.
Regardless of what happens tonight, the same two teams will meet again this weekend in a first round playoff series.
Is there anything meaningful that can happen in tonight's game? Yeah, somebody can get hurt.
Other than that...zzzz.....