With mixed opinions on the state of tanking in the NBA from Commissioner Adam Silver’s office, the NBA should examine the possibility that a team is tanking right now. The team in question is the Atlanta Hawks.
| Eastern | W | L | PCT | GB | CONF | DIV | HOME | ROAD | L 10 | STREAK |
| Miami1se | 52 | 22 | 0.703 | 0.0 | 32-14 | 12-2 | 30-6 | 22-16 | 7-3 | W 4 |
| Indiana2c | 53 | 23 | 0.697 | 0.0 | 36-11 | 11-4 | 34-5 | 19-18 | 4-6 | W 1 |
| Toronto3x | 43 | 32 | 0.573 | 9.5 | 27-18 | 10-3 | 23-14 | 20-18 | 6-4 | W 1 |
| Chicago4x | 43 | 32 | 0.573 | 9.5 | 31-15 | 9-5 | 24-14 | 19-18 | 7-3 | W 3 |
| Brooklyn5x | 40 | 34 | 0.541 | 12.0 | 22-22 | 8-6 | 26-11 | 14-23 | 7-3 | L 1 |
| Washington6x | 39 | 36 | 0.520 | 13.5 | 28-17 | 8-5 | 20-17 | 19-19 | 5-5 | W 1 |
| Charlotte7 | 37 | 38 | 0.493 | 15.5 | 24-21 | 3-10 | 22-16 | 15-22 | 6-4 | W 2 |
| New York8 | 33 | 43 | 0.434 | 20.0 | 22-24 | 7-6 | 17-21 | 16-22 | 7-3 | W 3 |
| Atlanta | 32 | 42 | 0.432 | 20.0 | 22-22 | 7-7 | 21-15 | 11-27 | 3-7 | L 1 |
| Cleveland | 31 | 45 | 0.408 | 22.0 | 19-27 | 6-8 | 17-20 | 14-25 | 5-5 | W 2 |
Eric Goldschien of Sports Grid points out the multiple pieces of evidence that point to the idea that the Hawks could be tanking out of the eight seed in order to join the lottery. Which this draft class being the best in recent history, its not out of the realm of possibility that Atlanta wants a piece of the pie.
There’s only one team that appears to be egregiously tanking this NBA season, however, and that’s the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were almost surely in the playoffs with a 25-21 on Feb. 1. Since then, they’ve gone 7-21 (thanks to poor play and, yes, injuries), and with the Knicks win last night the Hawks are now technically the 9th seed in the East.
Bummer, right? Not really. The Hawks have nothing to gain by making the playoffs this year. They’re clearly not an elite team, or even a “good” team by most standards, and getting the 8th seed in the East just to lose in the first round to the Heat or Pacers doesn’t do anything for their rebuilding process. Missing the playoffs and getting into the deepest draft lottery in years? That’s something to work towards.
Goldschien raises a valid argument and to be honest it sounds downright obvious at this point the Hawks want nothing to do with the postseason. In fact, Hawks GM Danny Ferry recently commented on the state of the Hawks and where their interests lie. Keep in mind the previous information about the Hawks to this point.
“We’re not focused on trying to be the eighth seed in the playoffs because that’s not our goal. We’re trying to build something that’s good, sustainable, and the components are in place for us to do so.” (courtesy of USA Today)
Now it seems like the Hawks aren’t even trying to hide their true intentions. Atlanta could be the shining example the NBA needs to look into tanking in the NBA. Don’t get me wrong, I dont think tanking is a major issue at the moment. The teams at the top of the draft and bottom of the standings are suppose to be really bad. The Bucks and 76ers had no chance of competing this year, but for a established playoff team to flip and switch and want out? Thats a different story.
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