Go Wolves! Lose, lose, lose! (To win in the draft)
Other than winning over the Knicks last week, the Wolves have been on a determined losing streak, going so far as to bench PF Kevin Garnett for the rest of a 32-win season. If the Wolves can avoid winning their final game, that’ll deliver a 32-50 record on the year, and a decent shot at keeping their 2007 NBA Draft pick.
Since it’s been a bad season anyway, I’m encouraging the Wolves to go for broke and lose their final game. Don’t practice very hard, miss shots, stop taking the energy pills, play like there’s a tomorrow. Because winning at this point can only end the season on a sour note.
Here’s why.
At 32-49, the Wolves are currently in a three-way tie for the sixth-worst record in the NBA. That’s great, because it means at worst, the Wolves would draft eighth and thus keep their pick this year, the most talent-rich draft in the last decade. Heck, one of the teams they are tied with might even do Minnesota a favor and win, reducing the three-way tie a bit more and producing an even better pick for the Wolves.
Right now, the Wolves need to move as for toward the worst record as possible, to increase their lottery chances. Because really, the only way they’re going to get better any time this decade is to get a high pick in this talent-rich draft.
What Wolves fan wouldn’t want to see Kevin Durant or Greg Oden playing alongside Kevin Garnett? Sure, the Wolves would need a franchise-first bit of good fortune in the lottery to jump up to the top spot, or second spot, in the draft for that to happen. But even if they draft between six and eight, that means they’ll probably get one of the Florida Four. That’d still be nice.
But winning the final game? That would put the Wolves in a multi-way tie for ninth that could push their pick as far back as 11 or 12. Which means the pick would go to the Clippers and the Wolves would be shut out of the draft until the second round.
That would be the final insult to a terrible season.
So, Go Wolves! Lose that last game!
