Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert puts all notions of tanking (past, present or future) to bed

In a recent USA Today piece, Rudy Gobert put the notion of the Utah Jazz tanking, be it in the past, present or future, to bed once and for all.

Sports fandom can be a funny thing. And the advances of social media have made that all the more clear. Ideas and opinions can gain momentum in ways they never could before, even some that are absurd beyond belief.

One such notion gained a significant amount of traction and attention among the Utah Jazz faithful, while also sparking no shortage of controversy. The notion I speak of is none other than the #TankNote craze that spread across Jazz social media earlier in the season. A clever play on Utah’s #TakeNote slogan, the call behind the hashtag was for the Jazz to claim this season lost, scrap any hopes of what would presumably be a meaningless playoff appearance and trade in success this year for a higher pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

In defense of those who hopped on the #TankNote bandwagon, the Jazz were not playing well during the height of the slogan’s frenzy. For a while it appeared they’d never return to having a winning record, especially after dropping to nine games under .500 following an embarrassing loss to the lowly Atlanta Hawks.

At the time, it appeared that even without “trying” to tank, the Jazz were going to achieve the very purpose that the TankNoters were looking for, simply by being a team that wasn’t very good. However, many of us who were vehemently opposed to the idea saw that despite the struggles the team was going through, this was still a special squad.

Considering the caliber of players on the roster and the brilliance of the head coach, once the team became healthy and got past the brutal stretches in December and January, several Jazz fans were confident that this team could get back to its winning ways. Did we know that Utah would rattle off 21 wins in 23 games? Of course not! I don’t think anybody truly saw this electrifying run coming in such a fashion. But that’s still besides the point.

Even if Utah hadn’t turned it around as drastically as they have, this team always had the potential to be special, and tanking was never ever on their agenda nor in their DNA. Giving up on the season or throwing in the towel was never an option, even if the losses had continued and a .500 record had remained just out of reach. Especially now that the Jazz have turned it around, as many believed they could even if not to this extent, the call to ever tank in the first place seems even more ludicrous than before.

Tanking damages an organization’s culture. It repels potential free agents. It irritates players who want to win each and every time they step on the court to play the game they love. It causes friction in the locker room. It divides a front office and its team. In short, it’s generally a poor excuse for bad teams to try to find a quick fix to their problems. It was never in the Jazz’s plans, never should have been and never should be.

But don’t take my word for it. Instead, take it from a guy who knows a thing or two about the situation. Maybe you’ve heard of him, his name is Rudy Gobert – the very player who has been the backbone that has orchestrated Utah’s incredible run back into playoff contention. The very player who should have been reason enough for #TankNote to never exist in the first place.

In a recent article from USA Today’s Sam Amick, Gobert had the following to say relating to the notion of tanking:

"“Just try to teach players how to make winning plays, not only good basketball plays but winning plays,” Gobert said in explaining coach Quin Snyder’s system. “Teach every single one to help the team win games. A lot of teams are very good doing skill work, strength work. But if you want to win, you have to teach a player how to win. That’s why I don’t believe in tanking, all that stuff. I believe you learn how to win by winning. You don’t learn how to win by losing on purpose to get a 19-year-old who you’ve never seen.”"

Can I just repeat that last part for good measure?

"“That’s why I don’t believe in tanking, all that stuff. I believe you learn how to win by winning. You don’t learn how to win by losing on purpose to get a 19-year-old who you’ve never seen.”"

Rudy Gobert absolutely hit the nail on the head. And silenced any notions of tanking for good. As he stated, the draft is a roll of the dice. It’s often times a crap shoot. And throwing away a season or risking the culture of an organization in hopes that the dice roll in your favor is a pretty high risk to take.

Some on social media have admitted the folly of their former #TankNote ways, and I applaud them. The truth is, we all make mistakes at some point when it comes to our fandom. For example, I’m guilty of being far too harsh on Ricky Rubio earlier in the season. He’s proved me wrong dozens of times over since then, and I couldn’t be happier to own up to that error.

However, rather than accept the mistake and move on, many feel inclined to continue to defend their formerly adamant tanking desires, claiming that “at the time” it was the right thing to do because no one could have known how well the Jazz would go on to play. I’ll refrain from continuing to beat this dead horse, but I think my explanation of the problems tanking causes combined with Rudy’s end-all statement on the matter make it quite clear that such is simply not the case whatsoever.

Tanking is never the answer. Not now, not then, not ever. And especially not with a Rookie of the Year contender, a Defensive Player of the Year contender and a Coach of the Year contender on your squad.

Next: Utah Jazz: At this point, Rudy Gobert is the ONLY choice for DPOY

#TakeNote of that, my friends. And let’s enjoy a second straight run to the playoffs AND a bright future ahead, without trying to take a season off in between.