The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t come into this season with an intention to tank and be trade deadline sellers. Not after they traded to acquire Dejounte Murray in the summer.
Murray was supposed to be the missing piece to bring a talented roster together. A former All-Star capable of making life easier for someone like Zion Williamson. A plus contributor on both ends of the floor.
Then, Murray broke his hand in the season opener. A week later, CJ McCollum and Herb Jones suffered injuries. A week after that, Zion Williamson was put on the shelf. Trey Murphy and Jordan Hawkins also missed time. The Pelicans quickly went from a team supposed to be competing for a top playoff spot to a team at the bottom of the standings and running out of time for guys to get back and make a real run.
https://twitter.com/hoopshype/status/1858254031568896361
At 4-10, the Pelicans are tied for the second-most losses in the NBA. More importantly, they’re losing ground on teams in the deep Western Conference pushing for the playoffs. Past a certain point, they’ll have to start considering the season a lost cause. They aren’t there yet, but if and when they get there, they’ll become the sellers they didn’t project to be. At which point the question becomes who to move and who to hang on to.
Their one healthy star, Brandon Ingram, seems like a sure bet to be shipped away regardless of what happens, because of his expiring contract. But what happens with McCollum, who has one more year left on his deal? And would they dare trade Williamson? With the opportunity to land Cooper Flagg a growing reality, all things have to be considered on the table. It’s awfully tempting to think of all the assets they could collect in a fire sale to use for a rebuild around Flagg.
Pairing Flagg with Williamson also sounds fun — if you think Williamson can ever get and stay healthy.
Perhaps the new lottery structure, where three teams share top odds for the No. 1 pick discourages such ambitious thinking. But if the injury situation in New Orleans doesn’t improve and the losses continue to pile up, the Pelicans will have to start having conversations on how best to move forward.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The latest updates on Cooper Flagg.
Nov. 12 vs. 19 Kentucky: 26 pts, 9-19 fg, 1-5 (3-pt fg), 11 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk
Nov. 16 vs. Wofford: 8 pts, 3-8 fg, 1-5 (3-pt fg), 9 reb, 6 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl
We got our first look at Flagg against some real deal competition Tuesday in the Champions Classic, and he did not disappoint. Duke ended up falling to No. 19 Kentucky, but not before Flagg posted his second straight double-double with a season-high 26 points and 11 rebounds.
It wasn’t all positive, though. The Blue Devils went to Flagg twice in the final 20 seconds with the game on the line, and he turned it over both times.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1856556281806426414
The 17-year-old will need to tighten up his handle if the team is going to rely on him in the clutch. But considering it was just his third career game, he more than lived up to the hype of his first appearance in a top-25 ranked matchup.
https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1856562763079762273
Flagg did a lot less in his second game of the week, finishing with just eight points and nine rebounds in a runaway blowout over Wofford, though he did show exhibit another area of his game with a season-high six assists.
Winslow Townson/Getty Images
A ranking of the NBA’s best tanks.
1. Toronto Raptors (2-12)
The Raptors haven’t won a game in two weeks now, bringing their losing streak to seven straight games entering Monday. And with games against the Pacers, Timberwolves at Cavaliers this week, they have a real chance to make it three straight weeks without a win.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1857993511229956518
2. Washington Wizards (2-10)
It’s been a long time since the Wizards frightened fans with a 2-2 start to the season. They’ve since settled into a nice eight-game losing streak, keeping pace with the Raptors at the top of the tank rankings.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (2-10)
I don’t care that Joel Embiid is back. As long as the 76ers keep losing, they’ll keep making this list — and all they did was lose last week. Philly went 0-3, with losses to the Knicks, Cavs and Magic. Best of all in regards to a potentially successful re-process, Embiid has not been good.
4. Utah Jazz (3-10)
With a 3-4 record in their last seven games, the Jazz are sliding down the rankings a little too quickly for comfort. The four-game road swing they started with Saturday’s loss to the Kings should help ease them back into a little funk.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1857277664144372063
5. New Orleans Pelicans (4-10)
When almost 71 percent of your payroll isn’t playing, it’s hard to win games. So, this isn’t exactly a tank by choice, but you have to imagine a point of no return does exist.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The best moment in a tanking effort.
You say the 76ers aren’t tanking — or trying to tank — I say I don’t care. That .167 winning percentage is a ping pong ball’s best friend. Until that thing comes up, all dumb 76ers content is on the table.
Besides, how you gonna tell me a team isn’t tanking when they pull off incredibly tanky things like going on a seven-minute scoring drought to allow a 16-0 run and blow an eight-point lead for their third straight loss.
https://twitter.com/ORLmuse/status/1858198035169157429
And yes, Joel Embiid and Paul George both played in that one — the problem is they combined for just 33 points on 9-of-30 shooting. Even if they weren’t playing, injuries are no longer an excuse for the Sixers. Especially not after you lose to a Magic team that keeps finding ways to win with their best player sidelined.
For more 76ers amusement, here’s Karl-Anthony Towns taking out both Embiid and Kelly Oubre with a single head-butt.
https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1856529521907822933
Alika Jenner/Getty Images
A quick glance at a team not tanking hard enough.
The Trail Blazers went 3-0 on the week, and the first two of those wins came over the Timberwolves. If you want an example of things you can’t do in a tank, that’s it.
You’re the Trail Blazers. You have no business beating Minnesota once, let alone doing it in consecutive games. Even one of those wins could be the difference in you having top lottery odds and falling outside the top five. Priorities don’t seem to be in great order in Portland.
https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1856948884456820836
Shaedon Sharpe was one of the team’s bright spots against Minnesota, combining for 50 points in what was just his second and third starts since returning from injury. Then, he added another 32 against the Hawks on Sunday.
If you’re telling me the Blazers can expect more of that from him, then OK, maybe they really are ready to move past the tank. Especially with how well Donovan Clingan is coming along.
https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1856955780450456046
But let’s be real with ourselves, this team is still mostly a jumble of young talent without a clear-cut building block. They need a Flagg to bring it all together, and with the league’s sixth-worst net rating, it shouldn’t be hard for them to join the sweepstakes.
They just need to stop playing the Wolves and Pelicans, apparently. Four of their five wins this season have come against those two teams.
Cooper Flagg games
NBA games (to avoid)
