The time has come to put this season to bed. One final act of basketball charades before we can move on to caring about competitiveness again.

Although this season has been a punt that would make Pat McAfee smile, there are a few things we can be proud of. The first, is a pat on our own back, as the team's fans showed up in droves all year and never turned on the organization.

Credit is also due to the team itself for never slipping into negativity. They understood what this season was about and approached it with professionalism. That's not necessarily easy for a veteran team who was just in the finals a year ago. It shows the culture they've built and Carlisle's ability to lead, no matter the circumstances.

Finally, we made the best of a bad situation on the court. The season was over before it started and the team executed a flawless tank. We've secured the best possible lottery odds and even gave ourselves the chance to beat a rival on the final day of the season to walk away on a happy note.

A lot has been said about tanking but I think the fanbase would have been a lot more restless this season if the team hadn't embraced it. Tanking was, objectively, the only sane course of action after the atrocious start and the brass didn't pretend otherwise. Knowing that you're in good hands generates as much goodwill as winning a championship. Ok, maybe not as much, but you know what I mean.

Let's hope it's a long time before we have to put that theory to the test again.

Injuries

We only have nine players available tonight. Time for a vacation if you ask me.

Conversely, the Pistons only have one name on their injury report. Luckily, it's a big one.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 6:00 PM ET.

TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

See ya in the comments!

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