AROUND the NBA:

[RGP1981]

It means the odds are spread throughout 30 picks so the difference is smoother but still huge between the best teams and the worst.

I do not think there is a need for teams that make the playoffs to have a chance at getting a Top 14 lottery pick.

There have been several cases where a very talented team has a key injury and tanks for a season to get a high lottery pick, so the current/prior system doesn't really keep top talented teams from landing top talent.

The fix for this is simple. Use multi-year standings to determine lottery pick positions or odds. For example, the WNBA uses the average of 2-years standings to determine their lottery winners.

I don't get the argument that tanking is good.  Having multiple teams actively trying to lose is not good for the product.

I think it is a necessary "evil" of a system that provides a much better solution than anything else that exists, i.e., when it comes to offering equal opportunity to all teams in the league.

To reduce the number of teams who are actively tanking, the NBA could limit the number of times that a team can pick in the Top 4. Here's an example:

- #1 pick can not get another Top 4 pick for 4 years.
- #2 pick can not get another Top 4 pick for 3 years.
- #3 pick can not get another Top 4 pick for 2 years.
- #4 pick can not get another Top 4 pick for 1 years.