The Trail Blazers Lose a Game on Purpose and Will Miss the Play-In. Why Did They Decide to Tank Now?
A very weird weekend in Blazersland with an intentional crunch time tank job in Chicago followed by a shenanigan-less in Portland on Sunday. What’s going on?
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31 Comments
This season and tank has been a complete failure..
I hate this team right now!
They appear to have about as much clue as we do
Well done, Richmond. The whole 30 on the same conniption fit.
It was in San Antonio best interest to lose as well. So it makes no sense to beat San Antonio.
The bulls game was one the most frustrating things ive witnessed I would’ve rather not watch these games at all and let them tank then rush home to watch these last games to see if we make the playin and to get the rug pulled in the last minutes in the games idc about the draft at all i like our team but man they should’ve started the tank earlier
If we get higher than the bulls do we loose our pick that we owe to them.
What if Flagg after losing decides to play another year at Duke and go for a title? He won't even be 19 till right before xmas and coulda been playing for a HS championship this year anyway. Would be funny if he stays at Duke or transfers to play with his brother one year.
This is what happens when a head coach goes rogue and encourages his players to win…the plan all along was to tank and get a good spot….now unless we get a ton of luck, we will miss out on the best players of a top shel draft….what a giant waste of an opportunity
To the Gulag with this front office! HAHA….
your saying the most terrible run organization in the nba doing something weird…..
Are we trying to give Chicago our FRP this year to get our future FRPs?!?!
Doing the same thing they did in Chicago and against the spurs in front of the home crowd ? For me, the added odds at the lottery doesn't worth that shame.
They didn't want to beat the Spurs. They play with 9 players. 2 players are G-league, just 3-4 players are part of the usual rotation. The Spurs decided to loose.
In January we thought the team has potential, but very limited. Now we think Deni might be an allstar (then we think he is the best player of the team and that was a problem), Camara might be a future DPOY, Sharpe can be efficient and Clingan can play 30+ minutes. I think it's worth just 3% less for Cooper Flagg
Blazers are on the right track !!! Blame the league , blazers is one of the coolest team to support if your 45 year old sonics fan ❤
Why not loose to SA?!
Regardless of where we are in the draft, we have to get the pick right. It doesn’t matter if we’re 1 or 10th. I actually like the depth of this draft. Even if we land 9th or 10th, I like a lot of guys. Sure Flagg or Ace would be great. But hell VJ, Kon, Fears, Tre, Jase could be there.
Just RELAX. Positive growth this season for our young guys.
Mike… major respect for dropping the Mobb Deep line💯🎉
The real reason:
Portland orchestrated a dive as a wink/nod agreement to Chicago (who needs wins) for a future trade favor on their pick protections for a deal to move up in the draft.
☝🤨👆
Dyslexic approach
So easy to be negative and blame something/someone here, but really I’ve had the most fun watching these blazers the last few months as a competitive team, the team is happier, the coaches happier, only “y’all” haters focused on The Redemption Draft are having a bad time. Give up the angst and chill with us, it’s more fun 😆
When they “try to lose” to the spurs, simply by the roster at game time (having Toumani and Shaedon play doesn't necessarily mean they are trying to win), Murray and the hungry bench unit had other plans. Now they’re just protecting their trade pieces from injury (by having “injuries”). All is moot really because the pittance difference in draft randomness.
How much longer will the Blazers be tanking at the end of the season? This shit is getting old.
Man so weird… my confidence level in the blazers F.O is shaken for sure
What makes sense to me. Not likely to find agreements.😂
Portland has one of the best scouts on their side. Toumani is a result of this.
What if the player being drafted would not be in the top ten? They are likely not getting the flagg. Pun intended.
It just doesn't matter.
Elite defensive wing who can rebound and shoot very well from 3 and owns the paint on both ends.
Power forward. 21 years old.
3 years of college experience.
Six foot nine with a seven foot five wingspan. He can handle the ball and even be a small ball 5. Or starting stretch 4.
Who am I???
Why don't we use the veterans we should have traded and maybe a future draft pick that we have to trade up in this loaded draft coming up? Anybody ever thought of that?
Get off of Grant. Get on Duke center or Derek Queen.
Cronin is the worst front office guy in the west?
Why Tanking is Stupid – Especially for the Portland Trail Blazers
Let’s talk about tanking. More specifically, let’s talk about why tanking is a flawed, loser’s mindset that has no place in a franchise like the Portland Trail Blazers (or any other franchise in competitive sports). It's not fair for the fans nor to the already talented group of players that allows already building something meaningful without having to strategically lose games.
Tanking is betting on hope. Development is betting on work.
Look at what the Blazers already have/had:
Damian Lillard – Drafted 6th overall in 2012. Not a #1 pick. Not even top 5. But he became a franchise icon and one of the coldest clutch players of this generation. Proof that greatness isn’t reserved for the top of the lottery.
Shaedon Sharpe – Picked 7th in 2022. Still raw, but his athleticism, confidence, and scoring potential are sky-high.
Scoot Henderson – Picked 3rd in 2023. A tough, explosive point guard who wants to earn greatness, not be handed it in a rebuild.
Anfernee Simons – 24th pick in 2018. Developed into a 20+ PPG scorer and one of the best pull-up shooters in the game.
Donovan Clingan – A 7-footer with rim protection instincts and an elite defensive ceiling. If he develops a polished inside game, you’ve got a future anchor in the paint.
And it’s not just draft picks (What you got from Trading Dame) –
Deandre Ayton – Former #1 pick. Say what you will about his motor, but he’s a double-double machine with elite touch around the rim. Still just 25.
Deni Avdija – Since being traded to Portland, he’s taken a massive leap. Averaged 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in March 2025, shooting over 51% from the field and nearly 46% from three. This guy just dropped a 32-15-10 triple-double. He’s becoming a leader, not just a contributor.
Toumani Camara – Second-round pick, but already showing All-NBA Defensive Team potential. Long, physical, versatile—he defends like it’s personal. Every contender needs that kind of energy.
Plus you’ve got tough, coachable young guys like Kris Murray and Jabari Walker who are growing into real contributors.
So what’s the plan? Throw away another season? For who? For what?
Tanking says: “We can’t win unless we get lucky at the top of the lottery.”
Development says: “Let’s build our core into winners through reps, structure, and standards.”
You don’t teach young players how to win by putting them in a losing environment. You don’t develop character by removing consequences. And you don’t reward your fans’ loyalty by asking them to keep waiting.
Look around:
How many teams tanked for years only to be stuck in mediocrity?
How many high picks don’t pan out?
Meanwhile, look at teams like Miami, Denver, even Sacramento—teams that built identity and culture, not excuses.
Winning and development aren’t opposites. You can compete and grow. You can teach young players to play the right way from day one, not just rack up empty stats on a 22-win team.
Because here’s the truth:
Tanking isn’t strategy. It’s surrender.
And the Portland Trail Blazers don’t need to surrender. They need to fight, build, and believe.
Let’s stop chasing lottery luck and start developing the roster we already have.
Let’s stop hoping to “get good eventually” and start creating a culture that demands excellence now.
Plus you’ve got tough, coachable young guys like Kris Murray and Jabari Walker who are growing into real contributors.
So what’s the plan? Throw away another season? For who? For what?
Tanking says: “We can’t win unless we get lucky at the top of the lottery.”
Development says: “Let’s build our core into winners through reps, structure, and standards.”
You don’t teach young players how to win by putting them in a losing environment. You don’t develop character by removing consequences. And you don’t reward your fans’ loyalty by asking them to keep waiting.
Look around:
How many teams tanked for years only to be stuck in mediocrity?
How many high picks don’t pan out?
Meanwhile, look at teams like Miami, Denver, even Sacramento—teams that built identity and culture, not excuses.
Winning and development aren’t opposites. You can compete and grow. You can teach young players to play the right way from day one, not just rack up empty stats on a 22-win team.
Because here’s the truth:
Tanking isn’t strategy. It’s surrender.
And the Portland Trail Blazers don’t need to surrender. They need to fight, build, and believe.
Let’s stop chasing lottery luck and start developing the roster we already have.
Let’s stop hoping to “get good eventually” and start creating a culture that demands excellence now.
I don't understand what makes sense to lose to the Bulls, and not lose to the Spurs.