The NBA is pondering an absurd question. There is a rare temptation at the next booking event.
Can the team play too well? In the NBA, that is also possible. PDO
Lauri Markkanen represented by the Utah Jazz has surprised the entire world that follows basketball.
The team from Salt Lake City has won ten of the 13 games they have played and leads the NBA’s Western Conference.
There is still plenty of time left, but we can already say that the preliminary estimates went wrong. Jazz was supposed to be a throwaway bag.
But is that only a good thing?
Facing the border?
A sports news website owned by The New York Times The Athletic reflects on Jazz’s situation in his article.
The closed series known from the North American top leagues and the reservation system for young players has led to an absurd situation, illustrated by the fact that some in North America wonder if the Jazz have even won too many games.
Athletic editor by Sam Amick thinks it is appropriate to consider whether Jazz’s CEO will give Danny Ainge will the momentum continue or will he start trading players to other teams.
Danny Ainge’s plans are being guessed in the USA. PDO
The background is the idea that even though the Jazz are at the top of the Western Conference, the team would not have enough grit until the championship, in which case it might be more reasonable to finish poorly in the series.
Booking slots for booking events are drawn based on series rankings. By placing poorly in the series, you can get yourself the first booking turn.
– As much fun as the Jazz have had, the team has an undeniable ceiling in the eyes of the club’s decision-makers, which falls considerably short of a championship contender. This, the club’s internal view, should not surprise anyone, Amick writes.
220-centimeter lure
Without any big surprises, next year’s number one NBA pick will be a Frenchman Victor Wembanyamawhich is expected to be the next superstar of the sport.
First place booking is always a coveted commodity, but Wembanyama is a name that clubs dream of.
– I’ve never seen someone as tall and yet with such graceful movements as him, LeBron James said of Wembanyama earlier this year.
The 220-centimeter Victor Wembanyama is a player that every NBA club wants. PDO
Although the temptation is great, Amick writes that because of his background, Jazz CEO Ainge probably doesn’t believe in the power of losing on purpose.
Ainge served from 2003 to 2021 as the coach of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have not celebrated with reservation numbers, but won the championship in 2008. In total, the Celtics have celebrated the NBA championship no less than 17 times.
A winning Finn
The Athletic interviewed several NBA executives, who remain anonymous, who assessed whether the Jazz could start losing on purpose or trade their players.
One NBA club boss estimates that Markkanes could be seen as being held by the Jazz.
– He (Ainge) has no desire for a complete rebuild. The Jazz might be one team that doesn’t go that way because Danny doesn’t believe in it.
When the Jazz’s player trades were evaluated before this season, many were of the opinion that the player acquisitions, such as Markkanen, showed a desire to remain even the jumbo of the league. As harsh as it is to the players the Jazz acquired.
Another interviewee, who remained anonymous, said that, in fact, the player trades made before this season made the Jazz stronger.
– I think people just looked at the deals, but didn’t analyze them properly.
– Lauri Markkanen is a winning player.
The NBA boss in question estimates that the Jazz don’t want to remain a jumbo at least yet, but that time may be ahead.
“My guess is that if someone offered them a first-round pick in exchange for all their players, they would say yes, yes, yes and yes. Then suddenly they would be really bad.