worst-run NBA franchise as of the 2022 offseason

kings was offtm here whoops. pistons, wiz, hornets are the clear top 3 right now

the hornets are off the board for me because they just changed ownership and did make some good trades at the deadline. MJ may have also gotten the miller pick right on the way out the door

the wiz also have a new front office that hasn't done much yet so i'm putting them to the side. taking on the poole contract was a bad idea, though

1. pistons

don't think much needs to be said here. the GM has made a number of mind boggling decisions. the decisions they have gotten right are being undermined by the coach. spottie is right that they have more talent than some of these other teams, but that's a different question than who is being run the worst. cade for one was just the lottery balls hitting right. the GM/coach combo here is catastrophic.

2. bulls

i mean, wow. the ownership seems as bad as any other coach or owner on this list, they should potentially be first. at least the pistons owner was willing to spend $85 million on a coach, even if he picked the wrong one. the bulls seem obstinately focused on making the first round of the playoffs, and their GM is so bad that they may not accomplish even that for two seasons in a row. basically everything that has happened here has been bad, signing derozan and caruso stick out as good moves, caruso in particular. but of course they've refused to cash him in. the GM's quotes after the deadline in particular made one question whether there is an alternate reality that others may be experiencing. i don't think there's a single fanbase that more loathes their franchise than this one.

3. nets

it feels like they have been driven straight into a ditch. the KD and kyrie trades were both heists but it already feels like the potential of those trades has gone unfulfilled, which shouldn't be the case. it's inconceivable they didn't trade bridges and/or finney smith at the deadline, it's not like they're winning games. taking on ben simmons and apparently actually depending on him to some degree, good god. maybe they bite the bullet in the offseason on some of those guys in which case i'd prob take them off this list, but as long as they're attempting whatever this is they have to be up here.

4. raptors

that flag will fly forever for masai but their last several years have been extremely baffling, i don't think i agreed w/ taking back quickley and barrett in the OG trade instead of hunting for picks. their roster is young but not really that young. they don't seem to be rebuilding, but it's also hard to see how they get above play in territory for the next few seasons. the poetl thing. not getting anything for FVV. lots of stuff that seemed bad at the time and isn't looking any better.

5. hawks

i'm sensing a pattern here. i mean, going back to passing on luka... it's worth remembering their prize for that was *one* top 5 protected first round pick -- !!! ONE !!! -- which they used on cam reddish. the de'andre hunter fiasco from trade to contract. john collins. there is of course some good stuff in here, bogdanovic altho his knees give out in the playoffs, okongwu pick and contract was nice. jalen johnson looking nice. but this is still a bottom 10 team by winning % this year and it's not looking like the murray trade is working nor can they apparently recoup the value on him, at least at the moment. what is the avenue for this team getting significantly better in the next 5 years? even in a scenario where they trade trae, dejounte murray as your best player = rebuild land. we have no idea if landry fields is a good GM but i'm not optimistic.

my no 6 would be portland but i'm willing to give cronin some more time, parts of the dame trade were smart. would prob put dallas 7

the pistons have done some weird stuff no doubt and bcuz of the van gundy era/blake griffin deal you could totally throw them in here. but the draft has fallen their way the last few years so they’ll prob end up ok

― J0rdan S., Thursday, July 7, 2022 1:56 PM (one year ago)

"one year ago"

tough out there

that's a pretty good list. the nets and more so the raptors are in a strange place where they were considered some of the smarter teams, and now have both unclear strategic direction as well as discrete moves that were just objectively bad moves.

becoming a poorly run franchise happens slowly, then all at once

oh i didnt realize the wiz had a new FO

yeah michael winger from the clippers braintrust is overseeing the teardown there.

pistons owning the absurdly bad moves signifiers like drafting killian hayes then giving monty a huge contract then having to release hayes so monty will stop playing him

They also traded a rotation wing that they drafted (bey) for wiseman

they did the same thing with marvin bagley III. traded stuff nobody else would trade to get him, signed him to an extension nobody else would give him, and then had to unload two seconds to the wizards to move off the money (for what purpose only god knows)

Yep when they already had duren, wiseman and beef stew lol