WuTang_OG wrote:ArthurVandelay wrote:JB7 wrote:
If the lottery chances were increased for the 5th and 6th worst teams, then there would be more incentive to tank at the end of the year for teams trying to get into the bottom 6.
I'm just surprised this year that there is more uncertainty it seems in the East than the West at this point in the season, considering how close the records were in the West this year.
That is why in addition to increasing the lottery spots to 6, you also flatten the odds (ie give more lottery balls to teams 7 through 14 at the expense of 1-6. Still give the worse teams more balls/greater advantage but make it such that the worst team in the league only has a 50% chance of picking top 6.
That will make a team truly wonder if INTENTIONALLY winning 20 games is truly worth the effort because make no mistake, it’s easy enough to be bad, but it takes a lot of work to be horrible. Trying to climb out of horrible after intentionally putting yourself there can be very difficult to do, ask Detroit. When the reward is likely to be pick #7, that should cause enough people to rethink their tank.
that helps but I think you will still have teams tank. For example, teams like BRK this year (lets imagine they owned their pick) could have said fk it , we are not far from bottom 6 ... lets just tank the rest of the way and hope for the best. Look at Utah, besides the fact that they wanted to keep their top 10 pick, it gives them more incentive to give up mid season and get into bottom 6. some mgm groups have a bigger picture in mind and will have support of ownership to not make play in for a better chance at getting # 1 , # 2 etc.
ultimately the only way to truly eliminate tanking is flattening the odds for all non playoff teams .. but what a shyt show that would be lol .. the small market teams wouldnt agree
sometimes i think about the wheel system they voted down yrs ago.. woulda fixed tanking in its entirety (something toronto and masai voted in favour of)
https://www.blazersedge.com/2024/4/11/24126453/nba-draft-position-tanking-the-wheel-system-portland-trail-blazers
https://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-nbas-possible-solution-for-tanking-good-bye-to-the-lottery-hello-to-the-wheel/
That’s what I’m hoping happens.
Increase lottery, flatten odds.
Maybe one day I’ll sit down and work out the exact number of balls to each team…not today though lol
