Pride is an all but forgotten feeling for the once mighty Los Angeles Lakers.
On the heels of their worst loss in franchise history (a merciless 142-94 beating delivered by the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night) and en route to their worst finish since moving to L.A. in 1960, the organization's priorities have changed.
The loss column, which shows 42 entries from the team's first 63 games, has been embraced by forward-thinking fans hoping for a prized pull from the stacked 2014 draft class. A slew of one-year contracts has turned game time into evaluation periods.
Standards have been lowered, if not outright abandoned.
It's the definition of tanking, only the typical rules of the unsightly practice don't apply.
Reputation to Uphold
Most tanking teams have the "luxury" of completely neglecting the present and giving undivided attention to the future.
Sure, there might be a prospect to develop (Michael Carter-Williams for the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Milwaukee Bucks), but any exertion is restricted to simple damage control.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Zach Buckley
LA Lakers’ Season Is About NBA Survival Now, Not the Score
March 8th, 2014 by Zach Buckley Leave a reply »
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