Mark Cuban Thinks Tanking Should Be Option for Banged-Up OKC Thunder

If Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had his druthers, the Oklahoma City Thunder would at least think about shutting down their stars and playing for a shot at Emmanuel Mudiay or Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 NBA draft. 

"The question I don't think anybody has asked is, why don't they pull a David Robinson and try to get Tim Duncan?" he posed prior to a game between his Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat on Sunday, via ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon.  

Cuban was referring to the 1996-97 season, when the San Antonio Spurs suffered lengthy injuries to multiple starters and ultimately sat out an injured David Robinson for all but six games, allowing themselves to bottom out and win the No. 1 overall pick, which they used to draft Tim Duncan. It's never been proven that San Antonio was actually tanking that year, though there's always been a strong suspicion that was the plan. And if it was, it's one that was executed to perfection, as it led to five titles for the reigning champions. 

The Thunder haven't exactly had the best luck befall them in 2014-15, starting with the Jones fracture Kevin Durant suffered during the preseason. Russell Westbrook then fractured his right hand just two games into the season, knocking another star out of the lineup. On top of that, OKC has been forced to endure various injuries to Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb, Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, Perry Jones III, Grant Jerrett and Mitch McGary. 

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At times it's seemed as though the short-handed Thunder weren't going to have enough healthy bodies to send five out onto the court. As NBC Sports' Dan Feldman detailed, they were actually down to six players at one point against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 4: 

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Reggie Jackson intentionally fouled to stop the game, staggered to the bench and plopped himself down between Kevin Durant (in oversized cast on his right foot) and Anthony Morrow (sprained left knee), a couple players in street clothes. Jackson clutched his knee in obvious pain.

At that point the Thunder were down to six healthy players. That’s also how they finished Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors.

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Could Oklahoma City benefit from just folding this injury-laden hand, calling it a year and adding a potential superstar to the mix? Surely. Just think about the possibility of a starting group that included Westbrook, Jackson, Durant, Serge Ibaka and Okafor, assuming they can even retain Jackson's services. 

But it's also a bit too early in the season to give up, as Durant and Westbrook will be back in the lineup before too long. That's the mentality of Thunder head coach Scott Brooks, per MacMahon: 

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I didn't see those comments, but no. That's funny, though. But no, we've got a good group of guys in here. It's fun going into games knowing we're going to play with great effort, that we're going to be throwing our bodies all over the floor, that we'll be diving on the floor for loose [balls], and that's what our fans want to see. They understand we've had a lot of injuries ... they know it, but they like what the guys are going. They like that the guys are competing, that's what makes fans proud of our group.

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Despite all the injuries, the Thunder have played their hearts out, especially in front of their hometown fans. A 2-5 start obviously isn't ideal, but it leaves the team just two games back in the Northwest Division, and help is on the horizon. 

Making the playoffs in the brutal Western Conference won't be a guarantee for the Thunder any longer, but OKC will certainly still be in the mix, given its status as one of the league's best when everyone is healthy and raring to go. And maybe that's what Cuban is concerned about, letting some ulterior motives creep into this picture. 

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"Ya think?" Brooks said after he was asked if Cuban, the owner of another contending squad, might have some hidden motives regarding this particular line of thinking. "There's a pretty good team north of him."

The Thunder may not be "a pretty good team" right now, but they will be in a matter of weeks. Despite Cuban bringing the possibility of tanking into the picture, a squad with Durant and Westbrook on the roster—even if they're injured right now—isn't going to give up before the calendars flip to December. 

"I don't know, it would be a tough call," Cuban explained when asked if he'd tank this year were he the owner of the Thunder. "When Dirk got hurt, we didn't. But it's a little different."

Though tanking could work for OKC, it still shouldn't be that tough a call for the organization to make.