Though the Utah Jazz committed to the tank, they knew ahead of time that they would not be alone. With the season halfway done, they're not. Despite how many games they have lost, there are two NBA teams who have been worse than them - Washington and Toronto.
Now, it's not the end of the world if the Jazz not only don't end up with the best odds but also don't end up with Cooper Flagg. This draft has got some studs coming up, so the Jazz have to feel good regardless of how the season ends.
Besides, what many forget is that the NBA has spread its lottery odds. Even if the Jazz don't have the worst record in the NBA when the regular season concludes, the threee worst teams in the NBA finish with the same odds of both getting the No. 1 pick and ending up with a top-four pick.
However, the Jazz have good reason to believe that they could end up with the NBA's worst record when it's all said and done. Tankathon revealed which teams have the hardest remaining schedules for the rest of the NBA season, and the Jazz place fourth before their game against one of their fellow tankers, New Orleans.
The only teams that have tougher schedules from here on out are Phoenix, New York, and Memphis. Washington and Toronto have the easiest and second-easiest schedules respectively. Catching up to Washington in the tank is a tall task because they are bad (6-35) and will likely just get worse if and when they trade some of their better players.
That's not the only reason why the Jazz should be optimistic.
Some of their fellow tankers are winning
The Jazz's tough schedule from here on out has got to make them feel good about landing Flagg or any of the other top prospects coming in. However, what's also working right noe is that some of their fellow tankers are starting to win some games.
New Orleans and Charlotte have both won three games in a row. In fact, there's a case to be made that neither of those teams are as bad as their records make them look. They are where they are right now because the injury bug put them there.
Now that they're finally healthy, they may not be as much of a threat as they had been earlier. That coincides with the Pelicans' upcoming game against the Jazz tonight, where the Jazz can gain even more distance on them in the tank like they did the last time they faced off.
The Jazz have been criticized for not really embracing the tank these last two years. This year, they are finally doing it with a draft class that could give them their next franchise player. Whether they get one or not, their remaining strength of schedule is a beacon of light in a season of darkness.