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What happens when you solve a problem with another problem?
Adam Silver and the NBA’s campaign to abolish the practice of tanking has creased another wrinkle, as the newest proposal to cure professional basketball of its blood-sucking parasite has been revealed to the public. Their solution? Eliminate the incentive to tank by completely erasing the advantage of finishing in last place and rewarding those who won just a few more games.
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Here’s how it works, according to Kevin O’Connor:
The three worst records in the NBA will all be given decreased lottery odds and a worse chance at receiving the number-one overall pick compared to teams 4-10 in the lottery order. This eliminates any incentive to dive to the bottom of the standings and gives the league’s worst teams no reason to tank, especially in the late season (unless you’re just one or two spots above that 4-10 range, I suppose).
It’s innovative and relatively straightforward (I’d certainly prefer to commit this rule to memory than other suggestions like taking an average of the last two seasons’ records, tracking draft credits, or other dizzying proposals). Tanking is a race for last place, and by removing all incentive to be in the bottom three, you remove all incentive to tank at all. Problem solved!
…Not quite.
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If this fix actually accomplishes its goal of eliminating tanking, the NBA will be plagued with a new problem of its own creation.
Assuming a future where tanking no longer exists, the altered lottery odds could keep the NBA’s worst teams at the bottom for years. Franchises with little free agency appeal and a smaller bank account will be in the bottom four, not by choice, but by nature. They didn’t fall to the bottom on purpose — tanking is over.
These are the teams that need a Cooper Flagg, an AJ Dybantsa, a Darryn Peterson, or a Cameron Boozer. These are the teams that must build a competitive team through the draft. These are the teams that, under this proposed rule change, are systematically disadvantaged from ever drafting a player capable of changing their luck.
If the bottom four teams are, in…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-newest-tanking-fix-creates-035530748.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-14 03:55:00
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