As the waning seconds expired and the Blazers earned their 30th victory of the season with a 94-89 win over Utah Wednesday night, I shook my head and decided that the win is the wrong thing for the Blazers to be searching for.
It is obvious that a win is positive. A “W” usually spawns excitement among the fans and a sense of achievement in the locker room. But this time the win was a very bad idea.
The fact is Portland violated every law of logical thinking with the victory.
Let’s think about this for a second. What exactly did the Blazers have to gain from a victory? The answer is easy–absolutely nothing. The team is out of the playoff picture and has already won nine more games than last season. Wins only give a few hundred fans incentive to pack the Rose Garden for Portland’s final three home tilts. That’s not enough to compensate for jeopardizing the fortunes of an offseason that is rendered the most crucial in NBA history.
The Blazers need to stop winning and start losing. If they lose it will give them the best chance to win. This season is over for the Blazers. Done. Finished. Over. It’s time for everyone to throw in the towel in hopes of contending for a playoff spot next season and an eventual championship run down the road.
At this juncture, best-case scenario is the team understands the urgency and loses their remaining eight games. The best part about this plan is Nate McMillan could potentially tank the games without public outcry. The man has a couple excuses after not being dealt the best hand the past couple weeks, which could cover up a late-season “slide”–if you know what I mean.
Zach Randolph, easily his best player and only formidable post presence, is on the shelf with torn ligaments in his right hand. To add insult to injury, LaMarcus Aldridge left Sunday’s game prematurely, complaining of dizziness, and is out for the road trip. Losing wouldn’t be looked down on-it is almost expected now.
Call me a Blazers hater or a fan lacking in integrity, which are both entirely untrue. I’m just looking out for the Blazers’ best interests. In my mind this has been an excellent season. We have witnessed many great feats, like the emergence of rookies Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, owner Paul Allen repurchasing the Rose Garden and inking a deal to keep general manager Kevin Pritchard to replace Steve Patterson. And the team has, for the most part, won back a previously disinterested fan base.
The team has accomplished everything possible this season, so now it is time to look at its future prospects. Portland needs to look at the draft, and the best method to improve draft position is slumping down the stretch. In all honesty, this team is one or two players from winning 40 games and advancing past the first round of the playoffs next season.
Coming into Wednesday night, Portland had only 29 losses, placing them in the “elite” group of five teams with fewer than 30 W’s. That meant come NBA Draft Lottery the Blazers would have had the fifth most ping-pong balls floating around for Commissioner David Stern to snatch.
After the victory, Portland joins a crowded group of five teams that have amassed 30 wins on the season. The instant result is far fewer ping-pong balls. And, considering the richness of the upcoming draft, that one win could prove devastating.
With the likes of Texas forward Kevin Durant, Buckeyes freshman sensation Greg Oden, Florida swingman Corey Brewer and UCLA guard Aaron Afflao all considering making the jump to the NBA, it’s without question that the upcoming draft is stocked with supreme talent.
I realize it’s difficult, but just swallow this pill of reality–in order to win, we must lose first.