With only a couple of weeks remaining in the regular NBA season, two competitions are happening at once. One is the fight for playoff positioning, where teams are battling for the best seeds and, importantly, a guaranteed top-six spot in each conference to avoid the play-in tournament. The other is the race for lottery position, with several teams strategically losing games to secure a better chance at the number one overall pick and the opportunity to draft Duke University`s highly-touted Cooper Flagg in the upcoming NBA Draft in June.
The “tanking race” has different levels. Some teams only committed to losing after the All-Star break, notably San Antonio after Victor Wembanyama`s injury. Others have been focused on losing all season. Despite San Antonio`s recent efforts, the seven teams with the worst records in the NBA have clearly separated themselves in this race.
Teams like the Jazz and Wizards are not new to tanking. They have been intentionally performing poorly for over a year as part of a long-term strategy to acquire a franchise-changing player in the 2025 NBA Draft. Other teams, such as the Pelicans and 76ers, didn`t initially plan to be this bad but have accepted their situation this season and hope to improve next season with young talent, better support, and fewer injuries.
As the end of the season and the Draft Lottery on May 12th approach, we examine the players on each of these seven teams who have been most “valuable” in terms of accumulating lottery balls (meaning contributing to losses) and those who have shown the most “resistance” to their team`s tanking efforts.
The method used is straightforward: Using NBA.com`s statistics, the 50 most frequent three-player lineups for each team were analyzed. A player received one “Tank Commander” point for every three-man lineup with a net rating of -10.0 or worse. Conversely, a point was deducted for each lineup with a net rating of 1.0 or higher. While not perfect, a -10.0 net rating suggests a lineup significantly contributes to losing. On the other hand, being in a frequently used lineup with a positive net rating on a tanking team indicates a player is working against the team`s losing objective.
Here are the “Tank Commanders” for the seven NBA teams with the worst records this season:
Washington Wizards: Bub Carrington (18 Tank Commander points)
The Wizards are uniquely dedicated to losing this season, often losing by large margins. None of their 50 most used three-man lineups have a positive net rating; the best is the Poole-Kispert-Coulibaly lineup at -2.2. It`s remarkable how consistently they`ve performed poorly, especially early in the season, as evidenced by players they traded away (Kuzma and Valanciunas) appearing high on this list. Rookie guard Bub Carrington leads in “Tank Commander” points, but many others are close behind. Seven Wizards players are part of 10 or more three-man groups with a -10.0 or worse net rating within their top 50 lineups.
Honorable mention: Bilal Coulibaly (16), Jordan Poole (13), Alex Sarr (11), Kyle Kuzma (11), Corey Kispert (10), Jonas Valanciunas (10), Kyshawn George (9)
Resistance award: None
Utah Jazz: Keyonte George (10 points)
The Jazz have recently intensified their tanking efforts to solidify their position at the bottom of the Western Conference, even incurring a $100,000 fine for resting Lauri Markkanen. George is the most frequent “Tank Commander,” as the young guard has had a challenging second season. However, Utah`s young core has collectively contributed to the Jazz being firmly within the bottom three teams in the league, ensuring the best lottery odds.
Honorable mention: Walker Kessler (7), Isaiah Collier (7), Cody Williams (6), Kyle Filipowski (5)
Resistance award: John Collins (-5)
Three Jazz players received negative points: John Collins, Collin Sexton (-3), and Lauri Markkanen (-1). Collins, a veteran forward, is featured in more lineups with a positive net rating than any other Jazz player. Therefore, it`s unlikely the Jazz will rush him back from his ankle injury.
Charlotte Hornets: Nick Smith Jr. (5)
The Hornets slightly broke the system because they have used so many different lineups with limited playing time, making the top 50 lineups less representative of their overall struggles. For instance, Utah has used 300 fewer three-man lineups than Charlotte this season. Smith Jr. has the most “Tank Commander” points, but the sheer number of different lineups and players used by Charlotte highlights why they have the league`s third-worst record.
Honorable mention: Tidjane Salaun (3), Josh Green (3)
Resistance award: Cody Martin and LaMelo Ball (-7)
Martin`s trade to Phoenix at the deadline might be due to his positive impact lineups. Ball and Brandon Miller (-6) were also in many positive three-man groups before their injuries. If there`s optimism in Charlotte, it`s because they showed potential when their best players were on the court.
New Orleans Pelicans: Yves Missi (12 points)
As with many tanking teams, a young player in a significant role tops the list. For New Orleans, it`s rookie center Yves Missi, who has played extensive minutes due to team injuries. This isn`t necessarily a criticism of Missi or any player on this list, but it highlights the difficulty for young players to contribute to winning, especially with instability around them.
Honorable mention: Jordan Hawkins (7), Javonte Green (6), Trey Murphy III (5)
Resistance award: Zion Williamson and Kelly Olynyk (-1)
Zion Williamson is impactful when healthy and playing consistently. However, his availability is a recurring issue, and Pelicans fans might be hesitant to rely on his end-of-season performance given his injury history.
Brooklyn Nets: Nic Claxton (15 points)
When the Nets traded to regain their draft picks from Houston in the James Harden trade last summer, their plan for this season was clear. While they initially overperformed, they shifted to tanking to improve their chances at drafting Flagg and secure a top lottery pick. Claxton is in most of Brooklyn`s worst three-man lineups, partly because the Nets went 5-4 in games he missed.
Honorable mention: Ziaire Williams (8), Keon Johnson (8), Jalen Wilson (7), Noah Clowney (5)
Resistance award: Dennis Schröder (-4)
Schröder was a major factor in Brooklyn`s surprisingly strong start. Despite being traded after 23 games due to his strong play, he still leads the Nets` “resistance” leaderboard, just ahead of Day`Ron Sharpe (-2) and Cam Thomas (-1).
Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Drummond (5 points)
Similar to the Hornets, the Sixers` situation is more about attrition than specific players driving their struggles. However, it`s not surprising that a team designed around Joel Embiid has struggled with Andre Drummond on the court.
Honorable mention: Quentin Grimes (3), Justin Edwards (2), Tyrese Maxey (2)
Resistance award: Guerschon Yabusele (-8)
Yabusele has been part of any successful Sixers lineups this season, making this a positive surprise. Perhaps Philadelphia should build around Yabusele.
Toronto Raptors (24-47): Jonathan Mogbo (5 points)
The Raptors haven`t been as overtly bad as some teams, losing often but remaining competitive. This means they don`t have many extremely poor lineups, nor many exceptionally good ones. This is expected for a team not intentionally tanking but who made a significant trade at the deadline for a player who hasn`t yet played. Depth has been a concern for the Raptors, reflected in this analysis. Mogbo narrowly edged out RJ Barrett and Jamal Shead as “Tank Commander,” with most players in their worst lineups being from bench units.
Honorable mention: RJ Barret (4), Jamal Shead (4), Gradey Dick (2), Ochai Agbaji (2)
Resistance award: Davion Mitchell and Ja`Kobe Walter (-3)
Walter has been in some successful lineups with Scottie Barnes, while Mitchell has been part of solid lineups and avoided being in the worst ones.
Jasper Hawthorne