Robin Lopez had a funny response to a question about tanking.
At 20-37 entering Thursday, the Bulls do not appear to be headed towards a playoff appearance this year. Instead, the team’s front office appears to be focused on trying to increase their chances of receiving a high draft pick in the lottery.
Lopez is not here for tanking talk and dismissed it in clever fashion on Thursday.
Robin Lopez on tanking: "“I’m not familiar with military artillery.”
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 23, 2018
Lopez did not dress for the Bulls’ game against the Sixers on Thursday, which can be taken to mean the tank is on in Chicago. He did admit to being upset about the decision.
Robin Lopez was asked if he's disappointed in his benching by #Bulls.
His response showcased how he's such a team guy: "A little bit. I suppose that’s a little selfish of me, but a little bit."
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) February 23, 2018
Teammate Zach LaVine dismissed the notion of tanking as well, saying he’s not “going to go out there and lose.”
Zach LaVine on tank comments: "I don’t like them. I’m not somebody who is going to go out there and lose."
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) February 22, 2018
The Bulls are in an obvious re-build situation. There are several young players on the roster the organization needs to evaluate to determine if they can be pieces of the foundation going forward. A high draft pick in June would add another piece for Chicago to potentially build around.
The word tanking isn’t a popular one among players, but the concept has proven to be beneficial on occasion.
