NBA Tank Watch: Erik Spoelstra is right, there's 'nothing wrong' with the Wizards' tanking plans

A lot of people were angry after Bam Adebayo scored 83 points -- including Bam Adebayo. When Adebayo had that monster game against the Wizards last week, he moved past Kobe Bryant for second on the all-time single-game scoring list. That had a lot of Lakers fans in their feelings about Kobe, not to mention the basketball purists who got all worked up about the manner in which Adebayo hit his number and whether it was "ethical."

Bam was baffled by all the fuss. When asked about the fallout, Adebayo told his detractors "if you're mad, I don't care." Then he went further. 

"First of all, y'all are blaming me," Adebayo said. "You should be blaming that head coach (Brian Keefe). Get that first. I was not the one that let me go one-on-one the whole game until I had 70 and then started to send a double. At that point, I had 70 with, what, nine minutes left to go in the game? You think I'm not going for it?"

Bam Adebayo scores 83 points: Stop complaining about free throws and just enjoy the moment

Sam Quinn

Reader, he went for it. But the part that concerns Tank Watch is where Adebayo and others called out the Wizards for not doing more to stop him. Washington waited until roughly midway through the fourth quarter before trying to blitz and trap Adebayo with extra men. By then it was too late. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra -- who defiantly said "I apologize to absolutely no one" about the episode -- also singled out the Wizards. Spoelstra said the quiet part out loud when he noted that "their organization is trying to lose." But he also qualified those comments in a way that Tank Watch appreciated. 

"There's nothing wrong with what they're doing," Spoelstra said. "If you can tank and get a great draft pick, I don't care. Like, you can do anything you want in this league. You can approach it however you want."

Finally! We've been waiting for someone from a competing team to offer up a libertarian tanking take. Tank Watch salutes Spoelstra's defense of everyone's inalienable tanking freedom. 

One of the questions that Adebayo's unexpected performance created is whether we'll see other players attempt to rise up the single-game scoring rankings when they take on one of the tanking teams. Two nights after Adebayo went off, Luka Dončić put up 51 against the Bulls. Luka is certainly capable of that on any night against any team, but the possibility of lesser-known scorers going full Bam is something we're keeping an eye on. 

As for the Wizards and their part in all this, Keefe pointed out that his guys only lost the second half by seven points, though he admitted the fourth quarter turned into "not a real basketball game." Job well done on that front, everyone. 

◦ Note:  Teams are rated based on who's doing the best job of being bad in a given week. Teams that lose and find innovative ways to get around the league's player participation policy will rise in the rankings. Teams that accidentally win a game they wish they would have lost will fall. 

NBA Tank Rankings -- March 17

1. Washington Wizards (16-51)

Last week: 2

The Wizards would have earned this week's top slot for the Bam business alone, but they've also lost 12 straight. 

Trae Young had 21 points in 21 minutes in Monday's defeat at home against the Warriors -- then left in the third quarter with a quad contusion and did not return. Happy trails, Trae, see you next season?

2. Indiana Pacers (15-53)

Last week: 1

Ivica Zubac played last week! Including both ends of a back-to-back. I GASPED.

The Pacers still lost. Indiana has dropped 13 in a row, the longest active losing streak in the NBA. Keep up the bad job, Indiana. 

3. Brooklyn Nets (17-51)

Last week: 8

After winning back-to-back games (one of which somehow came at Detroit) and earning Tank Watch's ire, the Nets are back in our good graces. Brooklyn has lost four in a row and 14 of its last 16, including a revenge defeat at home to the Pistons. Like the Wizards and Pacers, the Nets have already been eliminated from postseason contention.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (23-44)

Last week: 6

The Grizzlies have lost eight straight. One of those required a real (lack of) effort in Philly. The Grizzlies scored 71 in the first half of that game. Meanwhile, the Sixers were in full-on patented Sixers meltdown mode. Joel Embiid remained out with an oblique injury. Tyrese Maxey had just been shut down for at least three weeks with a tendon injury in his right pinkie. And everyone in Philly was still rightly grousing about Jared McCain being traded to OKC (where he has hit big shots in meaningful minutes since going to the Thunder). 

In any other parallel universe, the Sixers tanking muscle memory kicks in and the Grizzlies win that game. Good L for Memphis.

5. Utah Jazz (20-48)

Last week: 5

The Jazz have lost 11 of their last 13. That includes blowing an 18-point lead in Portland to lose by 10 while giving heavy bench minutes to a lineup featuring Oscar Tshiebwe, Elijah Harkless, Andersson Garcia and Bez Mbeng. But the best part? They did all that with Adam Silver in the building.

Keyonte George missed the game in Portland. He's out at least two weeks with a hamstring strain, making him the latest injury casualty in Utah. 

6. Dallas Mavericks (23-46)

Last week: 3

The Mavs have lost eight of 10. They're now tied with the Pelicans for the third-worst record in the West, but the Grizzlies are only one game up on them.  

7. Chicago Bulls (28-40)

Last week: 8

The Bulls have 28 wins. The chances of them slipping below the Grizzlies or Mavericks is slim-to-none. Meanwhile the Bucks are suddenly just a half-game up on the Bulls for 11th in the East. There's only one thing to do: Free Mac McClung before it's too late. 

8. Sacramento Kings (18-51)

Last week 4

Winners of four of their last five including victories over the Jazz, Pacers and Bulls. Hate to see it. Maybe this is why Kings head coach Doug Christie can say with a straight face that he doesn't believe in tanking. 

Still, Sacramento deserves a mention for joining forces with Utah in all-time tank-off on Sunday.

Dishonorable Mention: Milwaukee Bucks (28-39)

Tank Watch admonished the Bucks last week for their ill-advised February winning streak. But suddenly the Bucks have lost eight of their last 10. The two wins? Over the Jazz and Pacers. 

If the Bucks keep trending in a downward direction there's a good chance they drop below the Bulls and regain a proper place in next week's Tank Rankings.

Tank Watch Game(s) of the Week

Bucks at Jazz, Thursday, 9 p.m. ET
Big opportunity for the Bucks to not show their stuff. 

Nets at Kings, Sunday, 6 p.m. ET
Brooklyn is 8-27 on the road. Sacramento is 12-23 at home. Who wants it less?

Tankthon Spin of the Week

Chaos! The Nets and Kings select first and second, the Mavs get one of the top-three prospects to pair with Cooper Flagg, and the Pelicans ship the fourth overall pick to the Hawks as karmic penance for Joe Dumars being Joe Dumars. And that uniquely protected Pacers pick falls into the sweet spot and ends up in Inglewood with the Clippers. Surely the Lottery Gods can't be this diabolical, but we can hope.