Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. dive into why adding playoff and play-in teams to the NBA draft lottery might be the solution that fixes tanking. Check out the full conversation on “The Dunker Spot” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
But, and Steve, we have news and I have questions for you in regards to the news.
Mm-hmm.
So first- Okay it was reported by ESPN, Shams Charania and others last week, that the NBA presented three comprehensive anti-tanking concepts to its board of governors as part of, meetings that happened in New York last week, with modifications expected to each before a formal vote in May.
And so Adam Silver, during All-Star weekend availability was like, “Hey, this tanking stuff is out of control.
I understand it’s out of control because of what this draft class is supposed to be, but we are curbing this.
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This ain’t what we want.”
He was recently asked about tanking.
He’s like, “Oh, we’re, oh, we’re getting rid of this.
We, we are going to curb this, full stop.”
It’s like, ah, okay.
And then we get this reporting, and some concepts that are going to be tweaked by the time the vote happens in May, a little over a month from now.
But we got three, Steve.
In to the first proposal.
The lottery would expand to 18 teams, which are the bottom 10 teams that don’t make the play-in, plus the eight play-in teams.
The bottom 10 teams will all have an equal 8% chance of moving up in the lottery, with the remaining 20% of the odds being split between the eight play-in teams in descending order from 11th through 18th.
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So, you know, if you’re the best play-in team, you have this many odds, yada, yada, yada.
Goes on down the line.
I guess before getting into that proposal itself, how do you feel about play-in teams being included in general in a potential lottery restructuring?
I think it’s interesting in the sense that we were all talking about the T word, tanking, for a long time.
Mm-hmm.
And Adam Silver said, “I’ve had enough of this.
Here is the play-in tournament.
Keep competing.
Everyone still has a chance.”
And people were satiated for a hot minute.
The play-in- Mm-hmm is a s- is a success.
It’s- You still have something to go after, to a degree.
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And then for some odd reason, people decided because of this draft class, because of certain, they decided to become rotation watchers.
They decided, let’s bring tanking discourse back, and did it for 17 consecutive days.
And any of my dunker spot parents out there, Adam Silver responded like, “I have talked to you about this for two consecutive weeks.
No.
It’s over.
It’s done.”
“Extreme measures will be taking place, but let me tell you what we’re not gonna do anymore.
We’re not doing this ever again.”
Mm-hmm.
“So bring me all the play-in teams, the play-in tournament that I brought forth to take this away.
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They are now in this, and you have to deal with this.”
And so I am gonna find it fascinating to see how people react, because they’re like, “Fix this, fix this.
Tanking, tanking.”
All right, cool.
What are you gonna do when a team pushes, makes the seventh seed, makes the playoffs, and also gets the number one pick?
You’re going to be upset.
And I’m going to chuckle.
That’s where I’m at.
But Adam Silver said, “No, blah, blah, blah.
We’re never Don’t ever say this word around me again.
This will be fixed, and whatever happens, you gotta deal with it.
It’s on you.”