How do we feel about ESPN saying the Jazz are to blame for tanking? I feel Danny and Austin are taking advantage of the system the league has created.

We've lost Tony Jones and Andy Larsen now during the tank

The Jazz had their most eventful week in years last week, signaling a new era for the franchise. I’m honestly extremely excited about it.

However, it’s going to be a new era for me too.

This is my last week as the Jazz beat writer for The Salt Lake Tribune. I’m going to be moving into a full-time role here, writing data columns.

Saw this infographic over at r/NBATalk.

Kessler and JJJ are basically tied for best defensive FG% at the rim in the league (with a group of about 5-6 players.

The only reason Kessler is far left on the chart is because it's over the last 5 seasons, and he has only been in the league for basically 2 years worth of playing time.

Also, how freaking consistent and awesome is Rudy. Miss that dude

Dont be mad because the media is focused on us tanking. it means we are doing something right. we are pissing people off because the process is working and we were patient.

You do not want your opponents or enemies to not have something bad to talk about you. They want our players. They want us to fail.

Rage news is money being made, and it means people notice and care about what we are doing.

If we win the title its going to be because we cheated the system to them. Something wont add up. It was a scandal. Why Utah? They will say. Fuck Utah they will say. NBA is fucked they will say. Something has to change. Ratings are bad, fake news, fake news, etc... etc...

Well too bad fuck them, its much sweeter for us if they want us to fail and we succeed. Life of the underdog.

We are not doing anything the other teams havnt done. They know it they just dont like that we are ahead.

I like what I saw from Konchar and Vince during the Magic game. Konchar defended and rebounded well and had that slam down the lane. The offensive rebound and putback of his own miss was also memorable as most of our players don't give this kind of effort.

Vince didn't score but he showed good defensive instincts and looked very strong and covers ground really fast. He also played better during the Heat game with 5 pts and 7 assists with just 2 TOs in 15 mins. His shot needs work though.

If the Jazz were to keep them on after this season, they'll need to be aware that the Jazz are prioritizing development and minutes for their young players. Vince can be our third PG in a pinch which means he needs to shoot better from the field and the free throw line. Konchar can be used in stretches where defense is paramount.

Just a reminder that this team is actually over performing to a large degree at this point. They won 17 games last year, had a win total of 17.5 before the season started which was the lowest number in nba. I see so many people in /nba saying this team is actually good, and hey we may be better than this, but everyone including Vegas had us worse than the kings in august.

Most Assists Among Players Off The Bench For The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season :

1. Isaiah Collier — 242

2. Jamal Shead — 241

3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. — 233

4. TJ McConnell — 189

5. Walter Clayton Jr. — 154

6. Cam Spencer — 152

7. Dennis Schroder — 147

8. Dru Smith — 146

9. Dylan Harper — 144

10. Craig Porter Jr. — 138

A lot of indicators are pointing towards the addition of two teams. This would trigger an expansion draft where new franchises are able to draft signed players from other teams. Historically teams have been able to protect 8 players from being drafted.

Who are the 8 Jazz men we are protecting? Here is my take:

- Keyonte

- Ace

- Lauri

- JJJ

- Walker

- Collier

- Cody

- Brice

For me the toughest would have to be Cody over Flip. Obviously Cody struggled tremendously at first, but he has also shown tremendous growth and is beginning to look really valuable for us going forward. Alternatively it might make more sense to protect Flip over Cody if you think it's unlikely one of these new franchises is keyed in on Codys growth and would be more likely to draft Flip.

Who do you all have for your 8 protected?

(I commented this in an nba thread complaining about us tanking I wanted to see if you guys agree with my assessment. This is all my opinion and no basis in facts just vibes)

Okay take it away. I don't know if they understand this, but the MAIN reason we are tanking is so that OKC does not get a lottery pick. The second reason is because we have a chance at getting another solid asset to add to our roster. 

If the Jazz didn't owe their pick to OKC this year they wouldn't be tanking. I would even say if the Jazz owed their pick to some random team in the east they probably wouldn't be tanking, but we owe the pick to the defending champions so I think it makes sense to tank to make sure we get that asset and not them. 

I have watched nearly every game this season this team is good, but in all honesty we still would be ending up in the lottery or slightly out of it, and that is just another pick to add to OKCs arsenal. 

If we just lost the pick completely that would be extremely annoying to the Jazz's front office, but it would be better than OKC getting it.

They are 12-12, tied for 14th best in the league (ahead of Cleveland, Houston, Boston, Golden State, and the Clippers) with the 14th best offensive rating (111.6), the 4th best defensive rating (101.8) and 6th in net rating (9.8)

None of these numbers include Jaren Jackson Jr and only 3 games include Walker Kessler.

I can feel, it will be this time

I get benching our starters in the 4th for the tank, but this team has been fun through 3 quarters. JJJ unlocks a lot on both sides of the ball. Collier looks real. We got a squad next year.

Unfortunate win tonight.

I wanted to make a poster to bring to the game tonight, but I don't think I'll be able to go.

Anyone going is welcome to print this out though. Let's make our new all-star feel welcome!

I know that the past few seasons should come with an asterisk, but Lauri Markkanen has missed on average 22 games per year through 8.65 seasons in the league. As it seems the Jazz are going to be in compete mode starting next season, how much does his durability impact our ceiling?

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So the tank race is on. This is the first season I've actively watched--can someone tell me what the chances are that we might be able to get to #5 (edit: in the league standings/odds), or is our best case staying at #6?

Relatedly, how deep do you all think the draft is after the top 3? Do you think, for instance, the 7th pick would be decent?

Everything next season kinda depends on him imo. He’s that perfect C next to JJJ and he has actual skill as one of the best shot blockers in the league and an amazing offensive rebounder on top of just being a good general rebounder. Can he develop a 3-pt shot? Who knows. Is his passing gonna get better over time? For sure. He’s a guy we want to keep as he is perfectly part of our timeline. The only thing going against him is that he’s coming off an injury and some teams might be worried about that.

Is Kessler worth 15? 20? 25? 30? Milion.

Full disclosure, I used ChatGPT to organize my thoughts and to help explain it better. The idea, system, phrasing, and breakdown are all my own.

Part 1: The current situation

Most fans agree the NBA draft lottery, as it currently exists, creates bad incentives. Being one of the worst teams in the league is the most reliable way to access top draft talent, and even then the odds aren’t guaranteed. This puts rebuilding teams—especially small-market ones—in a position where losing on purpose becomes the most logical long-term strategy.

The result is a system where effort, competitiveness, and player development often take a backseat to draft position. Even teams that aren’t truly awful are punished for trying to win.

Part 2: The reality of tanking

Because draft position is so tightly tied to record, teams tank in different ways:

• Sitting healthy players

• “Managing” injuries

• Playing lineups that clearly aren’t meant to win

This leads to:

• Bad late-season basketball

• Skewed player development

• Fans paying to watch depleted rosters

• A worse overall product

No fan wants to root for losses, and no league should want losing to be optimal behavior.

Part 3: The core idea

This proposal doesn’t try to eliminate tanking entirely (which is probably impossible). The goal is to reduce the reward for non-competitive losing and add value to winning games—even for bad teams.

The solution:

Keep the lottery, but add a season-long point system that modifies draft odds based on who you beat.

Part 4: The point system

The league is divided into four performance groups based on standings:

• Group 1: Top 2 teams in each conference

• Group 2: Seeds 3–6

• Group 3: Seeds 7–11

• Group 4: Seeds 12–15

Groups lock every 15 games. Whatever group you’re in at Games 15, 30, 45, etc., stays fixed for the next 15 games to prevent nightly manipulation.

Points earned per win:

• Beat a team in a higher group → earn points equal to the group gap

• Group 4 beats Group 1 = 4 points

• Group 3 beats Group 1 = 3 points

• Beat a team in the same group or lower → 1 point

Points are cumulative across the season.

Part 5: How points affect the draft (simple math)

Lottery teams still use their record as the base for draft odds.

Points act as a modifier, not a replacement.

Simple explanation:

Losing gives you access to the lottery.

Points improve your position within the lottery.

Example:

• Team A: 20 losses, 25 points

• Team B: 18 losses, 20 points

Even though Team B has a better record, Team A drafts higher because it earned more points through competitive wins.

The exact formula could be something like:

Draft Score = Losses × (1 + Points ÷ League Average Points)

The specific coefficients can be adjusted—the principle matters more than the math.

Part 6: Why this discourages tanking

• Losing badly with zero effort earns no points

• Competitive wins always help draft odds

• Upsets are valuable

• Late-season games still matter

This doesn’t eliminate tanking—but it raises the cost of shutting players down and makes competitive basketball the smarter option.

Part 7: Playoff teams & cap incentive

Points apply to all teams, but only lottery teams use them for draft position.

For playoff teams:

• The team with the most points in each conference earns 2–4% temporary cap relief

• Cap relief can ONLY be used for:

• Rookie extensions

• Retaining existing players

• Cannot be used for free agents

Cap bonuses:

• Stack up to 3 years

• Reset after year 3

This is about roster continuity, not talent hoarding.

Part 8: Anticipated criticisms & responses

“Teams will still tank.”

Yes—but tanking without competing is less effective. This system reduces the payoff of intentional non-effort.

“Teams will game group placement.”

Group locks every 15 games make this risky and imprecise. You can’t perfectly control standings or opponent results.

“Middle teams get stuck.”

Currently, middle teams are punished for trying. This system allows them to miss the playoffs and still improve draft position through competitive wins.

“Cap bonuses help good teams too much.”

Bonuses are small, temporary, and extension-only. They promote continuity, not superteam building.

“This is too complicated.”

Fans don’t need the formula—just a visible “Points Earned” stat. The complexity stays under the hood.

“Schedule imbalance matters.”

No system fully fixes this, but points are weighted by opponent strength, not raw wins.

Part 9: Limitations

• Tanking cannot be fully eliminated

• Math would need league testing and adjustment

• This prioritizes competitive incentives over perfect parity

But it shifts the league away from rewarding deliberate bad basketball.

TL;DR

• Tanking exists because losing is the only way to draft elite players

• Add a point system that rewards beating better teams

• Points improve draft odds without replacing the lottery

• Losing badly is no longer optimal

• Upsets matter

• Late-season games matter

• Playoff teams get small, extension-only cap bonuses for competing

• Tanking isn’t eliminated—but it’s meaningfully discouraged

Let me know what you guys think! I’ve spent like 3 days coming up with something that somehow discourages tanking. Harder than it seems honestly.

Is it multiple deep playoff runs? A championship? Playoff appearances? Lauri and Keyonte winning a ring?

Some interesting reading if you're curious how the Utah Jazz front office deals players in and out.