Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors
Oklahoma City is buzzing this morning as I report live from The 405, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the current champions of the NBA. My wife is in town attending a continuing education program, while I took the opportunity to explore the city by myself yesterday. In the evening, we made our way to Paycom Center, just a short 12-minute walk, to watch an exciting matchup between the injury-riddled Thunder and the similarly hampered Golden State Warriors.
Despite the absence of star players—Steph Curry for the Warriors and Chet Holmgren for the Thunder—both teams remain competitive in the race for playoff positions. The Thunder are vying for the coveted number one seed in the Western Conference, while the Warriors, struggling without both Curry and Jimmy Butler (who is sidelined for the remainder of the season), fight just to secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament. After last night’s loss, the Warriors’ record stands at 32-31, hovering precariously just above the Clippers for the eighth seed, with the Portland Trail Blazers trailing close behind.
The stakes for the Warriors are considerable, as they aim to avoid the challenges of winning two play-in matches to advance to the postseason. On the other hand, the Thunder are in strong contention to solidify their playoff standing, which adds to the intensity of the game.
Tanking in the NBA
In contrast to this thrilling showdown, many other NBA games this season have been marked by a troubling trend: tanking. With the expansion of the playoffs from eight to ten teams per conference due to the Play-In Tournament, teams have begun prioritizing positioning for a high draft pick over winning. The NBA has witnessed a surge in teams purposely losing games, a strategy that has amplified this year with a promising draft class on the horizon.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is acutely aware of the issues surrounding tanking and has promised to introduce measures designed to mitigate this practice. Meanwhile, fans are left pondering whether a look across to Major League Baseball (MLB), known for its stringent draft policies, might provide insights into curbing this trend.
Lessons from Major League Baseball
Indeed, the recent reforms in MLB’s draft system have significantly diminished tanking. Unlike the NBA, where draft picks can be traded with protections, MLB restricts such trades, allowing franchises to focus on improving competitiveness rather than deliberately losing games for a better draft position. This model has proven effective, with MLB managing to minimize tanking behaviors.
There are suggestions circulating that the NBA could benefit from abandoning draft pick protections entirely, or at least eliminating them for mid-tier lottery picks. Currently, a team can secure a top-four protected pick, incentivizing high-stakes losing when playoff hopes dwindle or a particularly deep draft class is anticipated.
Furthermore, adopting a rule similar to MLB’s, where teams are barred from receiving consecutive lottery picks, could discourage perennial underperformers from remaining stagnant. The MLB’s regulation that no team may draft in the lottery for more than two consecutive years has effectively prevented teams from resorting to tanking strategies.
While finding solutions for the NBA’s tanking dilemma poses challenges, greater insights may lie in MLB’s successful draft overhaul. As the leagues continue to evolve, it would be wise for the NBA to consider implementing similar strategies to ensure competition remains fierce and engaging. Commissioner Silver, looking to strategies from America’s pastime may just be the remedy your league needs.
