Mark Cuban Is Wrong, Oklahoma City Thunder Shouldn't Tank Season

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Superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both sidelined for the next month, and they can do nothing but watch helplessly as their Oklahoma City Thunder team (2-5) continues to slip out of the playoff race. Is it time for them to start tanking, though, as suggested by owner Mark Cuban?

Not so fast Mark.

“The question I don’t think anybody has asked is, why don’t they pull a David Robinson and try to get Tim Duncan?” Cuban said to ABC News while referring to the 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs. “We already specialize in a race to the bottom. More participants won’t change anything. They’re all high-profile participants.”

That 20-win Spurs team created a foundation for the franchise’s five NBA championships, and you could argue it helped form one of basketball’s greatest dynasties ever. Robinson played only six games that season, and then we all know what happened in the draft lottery. They won their first title only two years later.

We must acknowledge that Cuban has an ulterior motive here, because he likes his Dallas Mavericks‘ chances at a playoff run this season and wants nothing to do with the Thunder once they are healthy. A postseason series between them would be an absolute beat down in favor of Durant and company.

For OKC, they should be able to climb out of almost any deficit and make the playoffs, but another major injury to a key player this season might doom them to the lottery. Here is hoping KD and Westbrook are back playing hoops sooner rather than later, because basketball is more fun with them around.

Dave Daniels is a Prep Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.

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