Should the NBA resume giving all non-playoff teams equal odds to discourage tanking?

[RealGM Polls]

1. Yes
2. No

[P3JA for 3]

Nah. Noone would pay for tickets of crappy teams then.

[VintageVince]

teams like Charlotte would be left in the **** hole for good then.

[hodgy#11]

No way.

Tanking would continue, in fact it would probably be worse. Why would you want to finish 8th in your conference when you know you're going to get swept by Miami/Brooklyn/San Antonio/OKC when you can just coast out the last month of the year and get an equal shot at the no. 1 pick while only finishing a couple of games out of the playoff race.

Making that change would make it even more unfair.

[martypython]

We'll just end up with another Orlando situation where a fringe playoff team gets the first overall pick.

[Mr_President]

No way.

Tanking would continue, in fact it would probably be worse. Why would you want to finish 8th in your conference when you know you're going to get swept by Miami/Brooklyn/San Antonio/OKC when you can just coast out the last month of the year and get an equal shot at the no. 1 pick while only finishing a couple of games out of the playoff race.

Making that change would make it even more unfair.

So Make it equal between the bottom 10 of 15 lottery teams then ... those with in the 8th seed race still will want to fight for wins ..

[shadrock]

I think a system like this would work if it was tweaked a little. Lets say all non-playoff teams get equal chance at the lottery (picks 1-14) and then after that, picks 15 through 45 go as per the regular season record from worst to best.

For example, this year Orlando were the worst team, so would receive the 15th pick for having the worst record, PLUS even odds at getting a pick in the 1-14 range for being a non-playoff team.

That way, there is really no major incentive for a team to tank as such, however a team that is genuinely bad will eventually be able to right itself and not be a bottom feeder forever.

I dont think i would want to tank if all it got me was a 1/14 chance at the #1 pick...

No need for a second round. Just do one round of like 44 picks.

[King4Day]

There are teams who really need help and there's nothing they can do but hope the draft helps. Teams would go out of business if they weren't assured of something for their troubles.

[PDXKnight]

I'm completely against a system that gives the 14th worst team the same odds as the worst team. Giving all 14 teams equal odds will keep the bottom feeders at the bottom more often than not so it doesn't really help the small market teams that can't attract guys like Dwight and Lebron in free agency. It would be kind of funny to see teams in the lower seeds scrambling to lose in the final 2 weeks of the season though.

[T-Rob]

No, they should keep the odds the same but keep it a lottery the whole way through the selections instead of just the top 3 teams. So tanking could still happen but you are just playing odds at that point and not a guarantee in the top 3.

[JoshB914]

I still don't understand how doing this would discourage tanking. If anything it would be encouraging it, as your final record would automatically determine your draft position, as opposed to the lottery, which doesn't necessarily reward teams for losing.

[grumpwalter]

I have a better idea.

Make the odds for the lottery in reverse order, so the best team that doesn't make the playoffs has the best odds, then 4th pick on is worst record to best record.

[mjd58]

I don't see what the problem is. If you want to eliminate tanking, the only practicable solution is to eliminate The NBA draft altogether. As others mentioned, teams on the playoff cusp could then "tank" the last few games to give them equal odds of winning the top pick. Tanking would thus continue, albeit, under different circumstances.

Eliminating the draft altogether would take some teams out of the running for high prospect talent.

As for tanking in itself, it's a product of the draft system. So long as superstar talent insures elite team status, teams will always want to get that superstar talent. It's the business side of the equation. Basketball should be about sportsmanship and giving it your all day in and day out, but when you're accustomed to losing and being buried in the standings season after season, business acumen takes priority; you'd be a total knave to disapprove of tanking because it isn't "moral". Moral or not, the team's future prospects are improved manifold times when they have a chance at an Andrew Wiggins.

As said, you don't like the draft, get rid of the draft altogether. On another note, imagine a draft lottery that gives playoff teams "1 ball" as opposed to the two granted to non-playoff teams, as you suggested. Could you imagine the uproar if a championship team or a top 4 team won the 1st pick? That would be the acme of injustice.

I think excluding playoff teams from the draft lottery picture is a signal part of the rationale for why this draft system was put in place to begin with: perennial winners DO NOT DESERVE a chance at the best new talent. The idea of a draft is to IMPROVE the losers, so that they could become more competitive. This prerogative conflicts with your concern over tanking. Whats more important? Preventing tanking or preventing elite teams a chance from getting better by getting a top 3 draft pick?

Doesn't seem like this article was well thought out.

However, I will acknowledge that eliminating the draft would make us more European like - operating along the same lines as club football. But that might have even more troubling side effects than the draft system in place right now.

[payne]

Leave the draft as is, just make a better incentive for teams that make the playoffs.

hence teams are more likely wanting to make the playoffs.

[grumpwalter]

Leave the draft as is, just make a better incentive for teams that make the playoffs.

hence teams are more likely wanting to make the playoffs.

I think my suggestion does exactly that.

[kmatrixg]

Leave the draft as is, just make a better incentive for teams that make the playoffs.

hence teams are more likely wanting to make the playoffs.

Playing for a championship isn't incentive enough?

[UGotThrilled]

I think a system like this would work if it was tweaked a little. Lets say all non-playoff teams get equal chance at the lottery (picks 1-14) and then after that, picks 15 through 45 go as per the regular season record from worst to best.

For example, this year Orlando were the worst team, so would receive the 15th pick for having the worst record, PLUS even odds at getting a pick in the 1-14 range for being a non-playoff team.

That way, there is really no major incentive for a team to tank as such, however a team that is genuinely bad will eventually be able to right itself and not be a bottom feeder forever.

I dont think i would want to tank if all it got me was a 1/14 chance at the #1 pick...

No need for a second round. Just do one round of like 44 picks.

I like this idea quite a bit, and its one that I hadn't heard before. Of course, the only downside is that if you do make the Playoffs, your only pick will be in the 29-44 range, and it is tough to get value there. But there will be downsides to any system, and I think this deserves some consideration.

[Hold That]

Imagine the complaints if every team had an equal percentage to win the lotto. You think people are yelling rigged now? I can already hear the conspiracy theorist conjuring up their next theory on how this is a way for them to just pick and choose who they want #1, and the NBA's argument will be backed up with "well everyone had an equal shot" so their wont be any backlash.. Yup, I can see it now.

[boston_fan_ct]

the reason why it is the way it is now was to discourage losing on purpose just to make the lottery. so borderline team would lose on purpose to get a chance at no 1 realizing the best they would do was first round elimination. spurs just missed the playoffs the year they got Duncan. they didn't lose on purpose, just had a bunch of injuries. that was not fair to the teams that were awful. just leave it as is. the teams that lose every year like the bobcats never win with the get real bad strategy to get high draft picks. I am all for free agency compensation on another topic. you sign Dwight, you lose a number one pick.

[vincecarter4pres]

This is how stupid this site has become poster wise, that 65% of 8300 people have voted yes.