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The play-in tournament was created to put an end to "tanking" once and for all, but it hasn't quite worked that way. Tanking is still a thing, as NBA teams don't want to be stuck in "No Man's Land," the middle zone of a seventh to 10th-place finish.
And, who can blame them? As of the time of writing, no play-in team has ever won a series in the postseason. So, what are they playing for here? A first-round exit by the hands of a top-two seed juggernaut?
With that in mind, this article will look at the logical next steps that the bottom ten NBA teams should take to grow their team heading into next season. These are the teams who "tanked" and didn't even qualify for the Play-In Tournament. The teams are sorted from the worst record to the best.
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#10. Detroit Pistons (17-65):
Detroit's roster is looking solid right now. They still have a lot of questions about their supposed future stars like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Ivey, but the future is looking bright. This team has seven young studs, including three top-two picks, a top-five pick, two lottery picks, and one top-20 pick. When you have that much young talent on a roster, even in the worst-case scenario, one or two of them will eventually work out, right? Especially now that the Pistons have a great chance of adding another top-five pick to the roster.
So the move should be pretty clear for Detroit in the offseason: Do not make any trades involving your youngsters. Yes, Killian Hayes might just be the most inefficient player in the league, and yes, James Wiseman is still the enemy of advanced stats, but just be patient with them. Patience is a virtue, and for Detroit, a team who will not be contending next year, they should just take a chance on them. You never know who will take their game to the next level.
#9. San Antonio Spurs (22-60):
Kobe Bryant was putting up MVP numbers at the age of 34, carrying the failed "superteam" 2013 Lakers to the postseason, but then, he tore his Achilles. An Achilles tear should have probably ended his career, but Kobe stubbornly decided to carry on and played for three more seasons. The results were terrible, outside of his final game against the Jazz. It's safe to say that this three-year stretch hurt Kobe's legacy. So why are we talking about Kobe here? Because Gregg Popovich is going through a similar experience. Only the Achilles tear for Pop has been the departure of superstar Kawhi Leonard.
Regardless of what the Spurs do this offseason, they should do this one thing: Move on from Pop. Make it quick and painless, just like how Duncan left. Pop is already in the Hall of Fame and is a consensus top-three coach ever, so why is he sticking around? Popovich has only made the playoffs once after Kawhi left, and although this team isn't lacking in talent with guys like Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan, they probably won't do anything of significance for the foreseeable future. Pop should just enjoy his retirement, and let someone like Tim Duncan or Becky Hammon (if they can get her back) take over. Stop hurting Pop's legacy!
#8. Houston Rockets (22-60):
Houston's situation is very similar to Detriot's. Many young talented players. But they are lacking in something, a locker room leader. The oldest Rocket under contract for 2023-24 is Jae'Sean Tate, who is just 27 and will be entering his fourth season as a pro.
So the move for Houston should be...to sign a veteran. A talented vet who can start and lead the team would be nice, like what Bojan Bogdanović is doing for the aforementioned Pistons. But to be honest, in a team this young, any veteran would be good. When a team is filled almost exclusively with guys who are under the age of 30, bad things tend to happen in their development. Locker room problems can seriously hinder the development of future stars.
#7. Charlotte Hornets (27-55):
Speaking of the locker room and maturity issues, here we have the Charlotte Hornets. And this one is pretty simple: Don't bring back Miles Bridges. Just don't. Do not. On the court, Miles is a very talented basketball player who will help you win games, no one can deny that. But his troubles off the court are simply not worth it. This is a man who will serve three years of probation and is required to complete 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling and 52 weeks of parenting classes and serve 100 hours of community service. Oh, and the NBA will probably suspend him once he returns to the league. I wouldn't want him anywhere near my team, and neither should the Hornets.
#6. Portland Trail Blazers (33-49):
Should Portland trade Dame now that he has regained some of his lost trade value? I think that the pairing should give it one more shot. Portland made some solid moves last offseason, and they went 20-20 with a healthy Dame and Nurkic this season. It looks like they are just one big move away. They have a 10.5% chance of getting the number one overall pick, and presumably, Victor Wembanyama, but if they don't, they should do one thing and one thing only: Go all-in. Stop wasting Dame's prime years. Lillard has already made it very clear what he wants from the Blazers' front office.
“I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route, " said Lillard. This season's free agency class is solid, with players like James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Kristaps Porzingis, and Draymond Green. They can improve their cap space situation by managing their dead cap players, and even if they don't, they can still be active in the trade market with all their assets and obviously, their pick. They also have the seventh pick of the 2022 NBA draft, Shaedon Sharpe, who will be a very enticing asset for teams who are ready to trade their stars.
#5. Orlando Magic (34-48):
The Magic have a great roster of young and hungry players, which is evident by the fact that they went 29-24 between December 6, 2022, and April 3, 2023. This team is talented enough to make the playoffs on its own and will be even better after they get their draft picks (they also have the Bulls' top-4 protected pick this year), even if they trade it. They do have a weakness though, and that's three-point shooting. They had the 25th most three-pointers made in the league this year, and their shooting percentage of 34.6% is below average (24th in league rankings).
So their next step is pretty clear: Go after some sharpshooters. In their first playoff season of the Nikola Vucevic era (2018-19), they ranked 12th in threes made. If they want to get back in the postseason, they need to make it rain from deep.
#4. Washington Wizards (35-47):
If "No Man's Land" was a franchise, it would be the Washington Wizards. Always solid but it's never enough. They have gone 413-469 since drafting Bradley Beal, and he'll now be entering his age-30 season. It's safe to say that Beal was wasted in the capital. He's always had good players around him like John Wall, Russell Westbrook, and Kristaps Porzingis, but it just hasn't worked out.
It's time to do it, Washington: Trade everyone. The Wizards do not have an exciting, young prospect, but they can certainly change that. They will get a lot of great assets by trading Beal, Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma to join their new lottery pick. Yes, they will suck for a few years if they take this route, but it's certainly better than winning 35 games every year with no real direction.
#3. Indiana Pacers (35-47):
This one is simple. Just like Orlando, this team has a very bright future and can easily make the postseason, as they went 28-28 with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton this season. So they should just: Keep the gang together. This is a solid, well-balanced team. This season, Tyrese became the first player in NBA history who averaged 20 points and 10 assists, while shooting 40% from three. He is eligible for an extension this summer, and his contract is likely going to become a max deal. So they should just focus on locking Tyrese up long-term and keeping guys like Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Bennedict Mathurin with him.
#2. Utah Jazz (37-45):
The Jazz miss Mike Conley. Conley was described as a "quarterback" for the Jazz by recently departed Pistons HC Dwane Casey. If Conley were a QB, he wouldn't be someone like Patrick Mahomes, he would be more of a game manager, like Jimmy Garoppolo. Someone who kept the ball out of harm's way, and anchored the offense. With Conley they went 22-21, without him they went 15-24. Their goal for next season should be to: Get a floor general. Conley himself might be available, as his contract is not guaranteed for next season, and with his 24.6 million contract, the Wolves could move on from him.
#1. Dallas Mavericks (38-44):
How to fall out of the playoff race? Well, going 9-18 after acquiring a "superstar" is certainly one way to do it. It was tempting to say that Dallas' move for the offseason should be finding a replacement for Kyrie, but ESPN’s Tim MacMahon just reported that Mavs GM Nico Harrison is "optimistic that the Mavs will resign Kyrie in the offseason." So, even though replacing Kyrie would be a very smart move, it seems like he might be staying for a while. So, if Kyrie stays, Dallas needs to please their real superstar, Luka Doncic. Luka will try to convince Kyrie to stay, as he had this to say about Kyrie: "I wish he can still be here…Great player, he just wants peace. Great person.”
So, with Kyrie most likely staying, this is what the Mavs should do: Get a star big man. If they can keep Christian Wood and use him and Tim Hardaway Jr. as the leaders of the second unit, they have a pretty solid roster, but they are lacking in star power down low. The Mavs were the worst rebounding team in the league last season and were the third-worst blocking team. Making a move for Draymond Green would be perfect, as they are also the third-worst passing team in the NBA, and we all know how good of a passer Draymond is.
