Tanking has been a focal point around the NBA over the last few weeks, with teams like the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers blantantly leaning into it.
The Golden State Warriors benefited from it in last Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies — a team that looked far more interested in losing than winning. The Grizzlies going scoreless over the final five minutes, committing some head-scratching turnovers, and rolling out strange fourth-quarter combinations definitely helped Golden State rally from 17 down and raised more than a few eyebrows.
But tanking can have a bigger impact than simply boosting draft odds — it can also shift the playoff picture for teams fighting for seeding.
Warriors playoff fate may hinge on taking care of tanking teams
Let’s assume the NBA currently has 10 teams that should — and mostly do — have an incentive to lose as many games as possible: the Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings.
Six of those teams (MEM, IND, BKN, UTA, WAS, and SAC) have been the most overt in their willingness to tank.
The Warriors have nine games left against tanking teams, including six against the “bottom six.” Most of Golden State’s direct rivals have fewer: Portland has 10 (eight vs. the bottom six), the Clippers have eight (five vs. the bottom six), Phoenix has seven (four vs. the bottom six), the Lakers have eight (six vs. the bottom six), and Minnesota has five (three vs. the bottom six)
While those matchups are favorable for every team vying for a playoff spot, you still have to get the job done — something the Warriors have struggled to do against short-handed opponents.
Golden State has dropped several games to teams missing one or more key players. So far this season, they’ve lost to: a Bucks team without Giannis Antetokounmpo, a very depleted Pacers squad, the Magic without Paolo Banchero, Portland without Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe, the Rockets without Kevin Durant and Steven Adams, and Minnesota without Anthony Edwards — yikes.
That’s six games the Warriors could’ve and should've had, and each one would have mattered in the standings, considering they sit just 4.5 games back of the fourth seed.
Despite having the second-most remaining games against tanking teams among playoff contenders, the Warriors also have the most games left against the top three teams in each conference (OKC, SAS, DEN, DET, BOS, and NYK).
Golden State still needs to face the Celtics twice, the Nuggets twice, and the Thunder, Knicks (at the Garden), Pistons, and Spurs once each. When healthy, the Warriors have shown they have the tools to beat any team. The issue is: they haven’t been healthy very often.
Several key players have already missed significant time due to injuries: Steph Curry (16 games), Jimmy Butler (17 and out for the year), Draymond Green (9), Al Horford (21) and De’Anthony Melton (27, and he’s on a 24-minute restriction).
To add to the issue, Curry will miss his 17th game of the season Thursday night against the Celtics, Steve Kerr announced —one more would make him ineligible for end-of-season awards.
The Warriors’ remaining core six without Butler (Curry, Green, Podziemski, Melton, Horford, and Moody) have played just 12 games together this season — and Golden State is 9–3 in those games.
If the Warriors can stay healthy and Kristaps Porzingis makes the impact we all expect, Golden State has enough in the tank to close the season on a high note — and become the team nobody wants to face in the first round.