re: ESPN article on Pelicans tanking.

quote:

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How do the Pelicans tank?

Play Davis less:




Jared Wickerham/Getty ImagesWould giving Austin Rivers more playing time help the Pelicans secure a better draft pick?


New Orleans already has a built-in excuse with the injuries to Holiday and Anderson. The first step is to gradually decrease Davis' minutes; as the most vital player on the team, you want him out there less. He's already had his own injury woes throughout his brief career, so any additional injury should be treated with the utmost caution.

Play Davis in oddball lineups:

When he does play, you could insert him into lineups that might be unfavorable, thus lessening his impact. Examples of this might be playing him with a non-spacing big like Jeff Withey or Greg Stiemsma, experimenting with him at the small forward position and playing him with tunnel-vision guards like Austin Rivers.

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Possibly the dumbest idea of all time. Totally frick your 20 year old franchise player. Swell idea.

If we're THAT committed to tanking, we'd be much better off just sitting Davis than playing him and intentionally sabotaging him. It gets dumber every time I think about it...