Did the Cavs Management Intentionally Tank the 2002-03 Season?

• From the Hills

  

  Do you believe Cav's management intentionally tanked the 02-03 season in order to land the first draft pick and pick James? Coack Luke believes they did and I tend to agree with him.
  
  I know they still had to win the NBA draft lottery, but the way the franchise was heading I think it was a chance they thought was worth taking. Even if Gordon Gund claims otherwise.
  
  http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/01/13/john-lucas-cavs-tanked-to-get-lebron/
• Elliot Stabler

  Yes.....without a doubt.
  
  
  I would have found it really funny if they had tanked and still had not gotten the #1 pick
• j_crazy

  

  I'd hate to think that they were trying and were still that bad.
• Emmett Brown

  

  Not only was the season tanked but the Lottery was fixed. When was the last time the worst time drafted #1? It has happened four times in 24 years.
• sleeper

  

  I'm not sure, but can you blame them? LBJ has a great chance to go down as the best to have ever played the game, and he's only in his 7th season.
• Elliot Stabler

  Ummm...no sorry
  
  Thanks for playing though
• bases_loaded

  

  Emmett Brown wrote: Not only was the season tanked but the Lottery was fixed. When was the last time the worst time drafted #1? It has happened four times in 24 years.

  Thats about 17% of the time. The odds say the worst team gets it 1 in 4 times. With only 24 data its hard to say if things are fixed or if they are just happening according to the odds.
  
  
  Who cares if the Cavs tanked on purpose.
• From the Hills

  

  bases_loaded wrote:

  Emmett Brown wrote: Not only was the season tanked but the Lottery was fixed. When was the last time the worst time drafted #1? It has happened four times in 24 years.

  Thats about 17% of the time. The odds say the worst team gets it 1 in 4 times. With only 24 data its hard to say if things are fixed or if they are just happening according to the odds.
  
  
  Who cares if the Cavs tanked on purpose.

  Coach Lucas seems to care, it seems to have bothered him for a long time. That and not being able to coach Lebron.
• Elliot Stabler

  I think Lebron James is the only player in NBA history who was allowed to hand-pick his Head Coach
• ytownfootball

  

  Good lord...pass out the tin foil hats.
• Elliot Stabler

  It's a pretty well-known fact that Lebron didn't like Paul Silas and wanted him out...so he was fired.
  
  And Lebron was involved in picking Mike Brown because he knew Brown would let him do what he wants
• sportswizuhrd

  Who cares? Teams do it all the time. I read somewhere that someone(columnist) made the point that they should have a mini tournament with the teams outside of the 7th spot to determine the 8th seed. It gives all the teams something to play for when they are usually elimintaed.
• bases_loaded

  

  Elliot Stabler wrote: It's a pretty well-known fact that Lebron didn't like Paul Silas and wanted him out...so he was fired.
  
  And Lebron was involved in picking Mike Brown because he knew Brown would let him do what he wants

  and once again...who cares, outside of those who were paid well to not coach. The Cavs have become a consistently good program, the city, owner, and fans benefit from that. I hope the Cavs did tank the season and the NBA fixed the lottery because without Lebron who knows what city the Cavs are playing in right now
• dazedconfused

  

  tanking, probably, but that team was pretty bad on its own merit. it's not like the 29 wins earned the year before that was a sign of a quality team or anything like that
• From the Hills

  

  bases_loaded wrote:

  Elliot Stabler wrote: It's a pretty well-known fact that Lebron didn't like Paul Silas and wanted him out...so he was fired.
  
  And Lebron was involved in picking Mike Brown because he knew Brown would let him do what he wants

  and once again...who cares, outside of those who were paid well to not coach. The Cavs have become a consistently good program, the city, owner, and fans benefit from that. I hope the Cavs did tank the season and the NBA fixed the lottery because without Lebron who knows what city the Cavs are playing in right now

  That's my point. I think the season was tanked to save the franchise and your probably right, without Lebron they might be the Oklahoma City Cavaliers.
• RedRider1

  

  Can't tell me the NBA didn't see this as a chance to revive a dying (and not profitable) franchise with a hometown kid.
  
  If the Cavs did tank...it had the full blessing of Stern.
• thavoice

  Do I think they intentionally tanked it?
  
  Nah...if they had actually tried to tank it then they woulda messed that up too.
• pkebker

  Emmett Brown wrote: Not only was the season tanked but the Lottery was fixed. When was the last time the worst time drafted #1? It has happened four times in 24 years.

  Yeah because the NBA would really fix the lottery so LeBron can go to Cleveland. They really want him in Cleveland...Right.
  
  Maybe if New York or LA had a chance at the #1...
• Scarlet_Fever

  

  Did they tank? Yes
  
  Was the Lottery Fixed? I highly doubt it.
• wes_mantooth

  

  I don't really care, but I remember being pissed when they won their last game before that draft and tied the Nuggets for worst record....lol
• Mulva

  

  He had to be discouraged from playing Bimbo Coles?
• From the Hills

  

  Mulva wrote: He had to be discouraged from playing Bimbo Coles?

  When you have the great Smush Parker on the roster why would you play anyone else at point!!
• devil1197

  Did they tank? I don't know why they would since its a lottery and the worst team hardly ever wins.
• King Curtis

  No shit they did.
• King Curtis

  John Lucas says in a ESPN article that they indeed tanked the season to get LeBron.