# Are the Bucks intentionally tanking?



## Kreutz35 (Dec 23, 2011)

We've all heard about how the Bucks never meant to tank this year, signing mid-level, veteran players to overpriced contracts with the goal of making the playoffs. But do to a rash of injuries and these veterans not playing as well as expected, The Bucks have "lucked" into the worst record in the league (even worse than a team that lost 26 straight). Many believe that the Bucks continued to push for wins, despite the impossibility of a playoff pushed, based on the "win-now" Ramon Sessions trade at the deadline. It seems to be an ongoing story that Bucks management refuses to purposefully lose, despite the benefits that come from this strategy (see example 1.a. Philadelphia 76ers). This thought-process has driven Milwaukee fans crazy for years.

But, coming towards the end of this season and the beginning of one of the most important off-seasons in franchise history, have things changed in management? On March 20th, Larry Drew announced that Larry Sanders would miss the remainder of the season due to a broken bone in his face that he underwent surgery to repair. Last week, the NBA announced that Sanders would face a 5 game suspension for drug violations, indicating his third positive test for marijuana (fun fact: you don't get reprimanded for marijuana in the NBA until your third positive). Because of his "season-ending" injury, Sanders wouldn't actually undergo this suspension until the beginning of next season.

But, Milwaukee has just received permission to allow Sanders to begin serving his suspension starting this week, over the final 5 games of the season. 


> It turns out there's a process by which players are physically cleared to play by the team and an independent league-appointed doctor before suspensions can be served. What happened in this case, according to a league official: the Bucks' team doctor cleared Sanders, and sent his evaluation to the NBA. League officials reviewed and accepted the team doctor's conclusion. Then an independent physician contracted by the league examined Sanders and confirmed the team doctor's conclusion that Sanders is physically able to play.


http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/4/10/5600580/larry-sanders-suspension-bucks-nba-doctors

So, it appears that the Bucks have purposefully been holding Sanders out in the efforts to stealth tank their way through the rest of the season. This is a huge deviation from the norm for this team and, perhaps, indicates a new direction that the Bucks have taken as they move forward.


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

On the flip side, there's a chance the doctor cleared a marginal case he might have had second thoughts about otherwise with the knowledge the patient wasn't going to be allowed to play anyway.


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## Kreutz35 (Dec 23, 2011)

Bogg said:


> On the flip side, there's a chance the doctor cleared a marginal case he might have had second thoughts about otherwise with the knowledge the patient wasn't going to be allowed to play anyway.


This is definitely a possibility. Another, is that Sanders was medically cleared, but mentally didn't feel ready to play (think Derrick Rose last year).


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## Bogg (May 4, 2009)

Kreutz35 said:


> This is definitely a possibility. Another, is that Sanders was medically cleared, but mentally didn't feel ready to play (think Derrick Rose last year).


Also, let's be honest, there's a big difference between intentionally throwing a whole season away Sixers-style and letting a guy sit out the last half-dozen games of a season that's already lost.


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## Bubbles (Nov 12, 2005)

Just came into forum to create this thread actually. haha

Definitely a smart move by the Bucks. Are they intentionally tanking though? They definitely did not come into the season with those intentions, but with the season winding down I don't doubt that they are on the tank train at this point.


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## Kreutz35 (Dec 23, 2011)

Oh, they definitely didn't start out tanking, but many believe that they still are fighting for wins even now. However, this seems to point towards the opposite.


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## Kreutz35 (Dec 23, 2011)

We're just being more sneaky about it then Philly lol


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## letsgoceltics (Aug 19, 2012)

I'll take yours and Prince's word for it but this is realllllllly odd. Possibly someone really has to come in here and define "tanking." Is it like sim leagues where we do whatever you can to lose for a high draft pick? The problem I have with that is that teams can't sell to their fanbase that hey, come to our arenas and turn on the TV when we play and buy our merchandise and watch us lose in purpose. I realize the Bucks were trying to sign Monta Ellis in the offseason and all that other stuff, but isn't it possible that attempt was just a public relations puff? Several years ago, when Elgin Baylor sued the Clippers, he was talking about how management's policy wasn't about marketing a winning team, but a team that can hope to win.


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