NBA Tanking Rankings: These 14 teams are the best at being bad

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Welcome to the Tanking Rankings, where we have perfectly placed in order the teams that are tanking the best this season. Who is driving its season into the ground the most recklessly? See for yourself …

14. Chicago Bulls (32-40)

Most recent starters: Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Kevin Huerter, Nikola Vučević, Coby White

Since the All-Star break: 10-7 record • 117.6 offensive rating (10th) • 112.5 defensive rating (13th)

When a team trades DeMar DeRozan in the offseason and Zach LaVine at the deadline, returning a collection of misfit assets, it is trying to lose. Nikola Vučević has also seen his minutes diminished.

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Do not tell the rest of the Bulls, who have won eight of their last 10 games and all but clinched their annual entry into the play-in tournament. Since LaVine last played for Chicago on Jan. 27, the Bulls are perfectly average, owners of a 12-13 record and a -0.8 net rating. They might even make the playoffs.

To what end? How frustrating it must be to be stuck in the middle, to trade your best players, and to still be stuck in the middle. It is encouraging that Coby White and Josh Giddey have played so well, but what is the ceiling for a team that counts them as its best players? It may be the same as it was when the Bulls had DeRozan and LaVine. At some point, if you cannot get any better, you have to get worse — you have to give yourself a shot at a top-tier draft talent; you have to tank — and Chicago cannot even do that right.

13. Portland Trail Blazers (32-41)

Most recent starters: Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons

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Since the All-Star break: 9-9 record • 115.4 offensive rating (18th) • 111.4 defensive rating (7th)

When Deni Avdija has played more than 35 minutes, he has averaged 23.5 points (on 53/43/84 shooting splits), 11.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game for a Blazers team that has finished 9-8 in those 17 games.

It would make sense if Portland decided it was not worth playing Avdija so much, since its first-round draft pick is lottery protected. For a while there it seemed as though the Blazers might be vying for…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-tanking-rankings-these-14-teams-are-the-best-at-being-bad-163356160.html

Author : Ben Rohrbach

Publish date : 2025-03-27 16:33:00

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