NBA Teams That Should Lose on Purpose.... And the Clippers

D Wade out …whos next?

C’mon lets be real here. Dwayne Wade could play the rest of the season. Take the Miami Heat out of last place, put them in 6th 7th or 8th, and then ask Wade how he feels during a postgame interview and he’ll spit out the first 5 positive adjectives he can think of. It doesn’t take the president of the chess club at Cal Tech to realize that the Miami Heat are bidding for the first pick in the draft. Realistically speaking, this is a smart move for the Heat; give their star player enough time to revitalize and use this summer to build chemistry between their newly acquired forward Shawn Marion, and their newly drafted top pick. The notion of throwing in the white flag 20 games prior to the end of the season might sound cowardly but is probably the right move. So, what other teams should opt to get in the same mindset as the Heat? Here are my top 5:

5) Portland: It’s a sight to see the Trail Blazers not in trouble with the law and not in last place considering their hopes and dreams turned out to be a lemon before his first game. After giving up Bonzi Wells, and not having father time, aka Greg Oden, for the entire season; winning 30 games is truly something to brag about. However, Portland is in the Western Conference; a conference where the 8th seed is going to win 50 games this season. Portland is not going to do that. Sitting 6.5 games behind the Warriors, who might I say are EN FUEGO, they really don’t have a chance. My advice would be to throw in the white flag for this season and hope that you get a top 5 pick next season. It would technically be like getting two top 5 picks in the draft since Oden didn’t play this year. Imagine Roy, Aldridge, Oden, and a Top 5 point guard; that’s a pretty young/talented starting 4.

4) Chicago: 25-38 and the Bulls are a game and a half out of the playoffs. That’s just sad. Even if the Bulls made the playoffs they wouldn’t do anything except for giving the Celtics a very very easy 4 game sweep. The Bulls by far are this season’s biggest bust; I predicted the Bulls being top 3 in the East season how sad is that! Maybe it’s time to give up on this season and try to work some things out. Maybe, start Tyrus Thomas consistently and see if he really is as good as a white boy from Cal Poly and an Indian boy from LA think he is. Or, how about trying out some new point guards and benching Kirk Heinrich, we all know he doesn’t deserve to play anymore. And maybe with a draft pick they can package enough players into a deal for a young talented player (not like Ben Wallace sigh what an idiot move). Sigh..Mike if you’re reading this, maybe it’s time to put the old white 45 back on.

3) Minnesota/Memphis : In all honesty, I put two teams here because quite frankly I know absolutely nothing about either team. I’ve seen them get squashed by the Lakers a few times. I know Memphis used to have Pau Gasol, and still has Rudy Gay. Minnesota, well they’ll always be the idiots that took Antoine Walker in the Kevin Garnett trade. But in all honesty, how fans show up to watch these two teams play is beyond me. Best bet for both teams would be to lose out the remainder of the season and try and surround the little talent they have with young athletes and somehow try and force Antoine Walker into retirement.

2) Atlanta : I was originally going to place Seattle here. But I thought about it, and I can’t just put the every shitty team on this list because that defeats the purpose of making this list. I should just retitle this post “listing the worst teams in the NBA”. And to be honest, the Sonics aren’t that bad. They don’t have much support for Durant but he’s been playing quite well for a rookie. I mean, I’m impressed. And yes, I’m sure drafting high would allow the Sonics to add support for Durant. But losing out the rest of the season would not be beneficial for young Kevin. This is a golden time for Seattle and Durant; he gets the opportunity to learn how to succeed in the NBA with nothing to lose. So Seattle should play to win while they still are the Seattle Supersonics.

Now was for the Hawks. I’ve seen their games against the Bulls, Warriors, and Lakers; three very different teams. Yet, each and every time the Hawks have been right in it as the aggressors. They have a solid squad with a few missing pieces. And yes, I know it’s ridiculous for me to say that the 8th seed should drop out of the playoffs and lose all their remaining games but it just might be what puts Atlanta over the top for the next decade. Joe Johnson is amazing. So is Al Horford. I couldn’t believe how many boards they were getting over the Lakers. I like Bibby as their PG once he settles in to his new location. Marvin Williams can be replaced but Josh Smith isn’t bad at all. That means they are one piece away from having a solid starting 5. I think it would be more beneficial to go for that last piece then it is to sit around as the 8th seed only to get squashed by the Celtics or the Pistons, in the event that they upset Boston’s finest.

#1) Isiah Thomas: Not for the state of New York. Not for MSG and Manhattan, the first site I saw when I got out of that subway for the very first time this summer. Not even for the team that plays in MSG. Hell, not even for Spike Lee. But please, if you need any reason to lose out the remainder of this season it is to GET RID OF ISIAH THOMAS. Court cases for sexual assault? Marbury problems…still?? Marbury has been a problem for how many years now? I mean, seriously this is no longer player personnel issues it is bad parenting. First damn time I’ve ever seen a team give up in a game, actually give up. I know it was the Celtics but 59-104? Are you fucking kidding me? The Knicks are done, and not just for this season either. They are pretty much done until Isiah Thomas is gone..and then a year or two on top of that too. I like Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. Nate Robinson is adequate. But the rest of the team can go, and that’s including the coach.

Oh and you Los Angeles dwellers might be asking..'What about the Clippers?'. Shouldn't they be on this list too? NO. They had their chance for success when they had E.T. aka Sam Cassell. Now they are just a bunch of players who can't be helped. Elton Brand getting injured was a huge bust. Not only has it prevented the Clippers from progressing as a team, but its given minutes and respect to Chris Kaman, who truly deserves neither. Tim Thomas sucks. Breven Knight sucked years ago...nothing has changed. Mobley and Maggette are troopers but are getting old and are about ready to call it in too. All of this leaves the Clippers with a mediocre team with players too good to be replaced by rookies and too bad to win consistently. My advice for Clippers fans, don't come hunt me down after reading this and hope that they cut their entire squad except for Elton Brand and their rookies/sophs. Then maybe next year theyll be on this list as the #1 team to lose out the season.

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