It’s time to tank tanking
May 18, 2015, 11:55 AM | Updated: Jul 26, 2024, 11:50 am
There’s got to be a better way.
The greatest nation in the history of our planet has invented something terribly American: tanking.
Every team has players who are paid to perform and coaches who are judged by wins and losses. The people on the court, ice, field or diamond don’t try to lose. However, management of those teams bail on the season at the trade deadline and dump talent with little regard to the rest of the season. Under our current system, when a season is lost, why wouldn’t a team’s front office throw in the towel?
Tuesday night, lottery balls will be sucked through a machine at the NBA offices in New Jersey. There are 14 lottery balls sitting in a “Smartplay International” tumbler. Out of the 1,001 combinations possible when four of the fourteen numbers are pulled, six are gold for the Suns.
A draft lottery is used when a league lacks integrity. Out of fear of teams losing on purpose, the NBA and NHL use the lottery to ensure the worst loser isn’t guaranteed the #1 pick in the upcoming draft. It has worked with that weak-minded goal. If Minnesota does not “win” the draft lottery, it will be the 11th straight year the worst team in the NBA picks somewhere other than first.
The draft lottery only punishes a few tankers while rewarding others; it does not keep teams from tanking. It is up to you to determine a better way to handle tanking. Tweet me @doug987fm
with your ideas.
Monday is your turn. Tuesday, I will shock you with a scorched-earth idea that is guaranteed to end tanking.
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