What a week it was in the NBA, a truly record-breaking one. Some are even comparing it to being more shocking than the Luka Dončić move to the Los Angeles Lakers. For me, though, it just shows how impressive tanking has become, and why the 2026 NBA Tank Watch is getting even more intriguing.
© Dennis Lee-Imagn ImagesWhen Will the Chicago Bulls Learn How to Tank?
Too good to tank, too bad to make the playoffs, and too stubborn to accept reality. In the buildup to one of the most stacked draft classes in NBA history, the race to the bottom is just as intriguing as the fight at the top.
After going winless in February and selling off everything they had at the trade deadline, it seemed like the Chicago Bulls had finally chosen a direction. They got close—just one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks, with a chance to jump into a top-seven pick.
And then they went and ruined it by winning three of their last five games. Now, they’re more than an arm’s length away from those teams, and just half a game away from the Milwaukee Bucks—slipping further down the lottery odds.
While the rest of the NBA’s lottery teams are racking up losing streaks and handing out doctor’s notes to sit half their rotation, the Bulls are bringing back injured players and giving them minutes like it’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Bulls OT road dub! Beep Beep! pic.twitter.com/M9aV2g9DZE
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 11, 2026Chicago should be rolling out lineups like Yuki Kawamura, Rob Dillingham, Mac McClung, Patrick Williams, and Lachlan Olbrich — the “death lineup.”
I don’t understand why they’re doing this. They’re too far out to realistically contend for a play-in spot, so they’re locked into the lottery either way, yet the higher-ups still aren’t committing to the tank.
Obviously, I can’t blame the players or the coach, it’s their job to win. But when teams tank, that call comes from the front office. And I have a feeling that Artūras Karnišovas hasn’t made it yet.
It’s late, but it’s not too late.
Pull the plug, tank the season, and hope the lottery balls fall in the Bulls’ favor.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesIvica Zubac Set to Make Indiana Pacers Debut?
Just like Trae Young last week, the Indiana Pacers are ready to show off their new franchise center: Ivica Zubac. They upgraded him from OUT to Questionable for tonight. Not enough to win games, I assume, since their pick is still only top-four protected, but enough to give season ticket holders a reason to renew.
Ivica Zubac (ankle) listed questionable for Thursday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 11, 2026Zubac has been out since February 2nd and has yet to make his debut for the reigning Eastern Conference NBA champions. The Indiana Pacers, a team that has fully embraced the tank, are hoping for a top-four pick to add alongside the core that made the Finals less than a year ago.
They lost their franchise center, Myles Turner, to free agency and needed a replacement to get back into contention once Tyrese Haliburton returns next season. They couldn’t draft someone good enough to be ready that quickly, so they took a risk.
The Pacers traded their very valuable first-round pick this year, adding only top-four protection, for an All-Defensive big man from the Los Angeles Clippers. To keep the pick — and still make a selection in the 2026 NBA Draft — they need to keep losing, and they’ve done that by keeping half their roster out whenever they get the chance.
Debuting against the Phoenix Suns makes sense for the Pacers, especially considering Mark Williams won’t be available, meaning less pressure to perform at 100%.
It will be interesting to see how he fits in. We could be witnessing the beginning of the Indiana Pacers’ revenge run.
Rick Carlisle when asked about the return of Ivica Zubac:“Anyone have a definition of soon? We’re all in the NBA. There’s great possibilities looming all the time.”??? pic.twitter.com/6xxmm3duld
— SleeperPacers (@SleeperPacers) March 11, 2026Who Will the Wizards Allow to Break the Next NBA Record?
Tanking makes the NBA unwatchable, or at least that’s the biggest gripe surrounding the end of this season. So much so that Adam Silver was forced to put his foot down and rack his brain for new ways to stop it.
Yet almost the entire NBA tuned in to watch Bam Adebayo score 83 points—the second most in NBA history, against one of the worst teams in the league, the Washington Wizards.
Bam Adebayo. 83 points.Passes Kobe Bryant for second-most in a game in NBA history.pic.twitter.com/BwCdHP1ZK5
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 11, 2026The game was ugly. The best players Washington had were benched, and yet the rest of the NBA watched.
Why?
Because the thing with shameless tanking is that it’s so ugly you can’t help but watch.
They allowed a player who has never averaged over 21 points per game in any season of his career to score almost four times that. Imagine what doors that opens for the rest of the NBA.
Every superstar—or any player with something to prove—will be marking tanking teams on their calendars, looking to put up performances of a lifetime. It won’t make the basketball any prettier, but you’ll still want to watch, never knowing when you might miss NBA history.
It doesn’t fix tanking, but it could fix viewership.
Adam Silver should thank the Washington Wizards while the rest of the NBA ridicules them. And I love that.
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