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Dallas Mavericks: Are the Mavs tanking the tank job?

By Reid Hanson

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 03: A Dallas Mavericks Dancer performs during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 3, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 03: A Dallas Mavericks Dancer performs during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 3, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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With the Dallas Mavericks needless win over the disinterested Golden State Warriors this weekend they hurt their odds of keeping their first round pick in this summer’s draft.

Let’s be clear: the Dallas Mavericks are not officially in ‘Tank Mode’ this season. After publicly decreeing such a strategy last season, and getting heavily fined as a result, no such statement has come from the organization.

But with nothing to gain by winning and seemingly everything to lose (Unless the Mavs get in top-5 of the NBA lottery, they forfeit their first round pick), winning games isn’t of the highest priority these days.

On paper, the best way for the Dallas Mavericks to get better is by losing as much as possible and securing a top-5 draft pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Considering the roster situation as of late, losing isn’t that hard of an outcome to achieve. Since the All-Star break, the Mavs have been in an absolute free fall and standing 28-44 before Saturday’s match-up at Golden State.

If losing is in the best interests of this franchise, and all indications are the Dallas Mavericks have embraced the concept of try-hard organic losing, what the heck happened this weekend when the Mavs beat-down the defending champion Warriors 126-91?

For as sweet as the victory was to see, it hurt them in their quest to keep their first round pick. That’s because where they once had sole ownership of the sixth worst record, they are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies.

As such, the Mavs odds of securing a top-5 pick have dropped to 34.5 percent and their odds of getting the top selection overall fell to 8.2 percent according to tankathon).

This begs the question, are the Dallas Mavericks tanking their tank job?

Much like I plan to walk the fence on this answer, the Mavs are walking a very fine line this season. On paper is makes precisely zero sense to win any more games this season. Even though losing every game from here on out doesn’t guarantee they keep their pick, it certainly increases the chances they can.

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Assuming the team is better with a first round pick than without it (which we safely can), smart money says the Mavs screwed up winning Saturday night at Golden State. But teams aren’t built in a vacuum and losing has consequences.

Learning to win is tough to do when you’re used to losing. And the Mavs have become a little to accustomed to losing the second half of this season. A front office can say, “let’s lose” but you can never tell the players to lose.

Big wins like we just witnessed have a way of sticking with players. Even if the Mavs lose from here on out, they’ll remember this big win against a team that’s the odds-on-favorite to win the NBA Championship again this year.

Next. Should the Mavs pursue these two free agents?. dark

At the end of the day, this was a good win for the Mavs – no matter what it does to their lottery chances. If we had to pick one game to win it was this one. The games the Mavs must find a way to lose are the two contests against the Grizzlies.

  • Published on 03/25/2019 at 12:00 PM
  • Last updated at 03/25/2019 at 08:29 AM
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