(04-16-2025, 01:49 AM)F Gump Wrote: While true, it's rarely a path to a great pick. Teams who tank to keep their pick in one year typically get way better the next year when they have no pick protection. The coaching decisions on lineups get smarter. The odd baffling injuries become scarce. The bad losses to tanking teams stop happening. It's almost like magic!!!
PHI should get everyone back healthy, and be a playoff team with a pick in the 20s. MIA will find a way to be much better too after this "baffling collapse" of unexpected losing down the stretch. (Who could have predicted that, with MIA, when they had a pick with full lottery protection? Oh yeah, everyone!) UT will be bad again, of course - because, why not milk it while they can? Look for a really bad year for them. They have top 8 protection next year, and if they land in top 8 with that protection, OKC gets nothing, ever.
Not sure what your point is, really. That is why teams put protections on their picks. OKC is already an elite team with a bunch of lottery tickets in next years. A chance for one of them to win is probably worth much more to them than a bunch of late FRP.
Those picks had protections on, so they couldn't be great picks in the first place. Before the season it also looked like what you expect for next season to happen. Phi and Mia picks in their twenties and Utah worse than protection. Season went bad for Mia and Phi so they will pay their debt next season (both with lesser protections).