{"id":545449,"date":"2026-03-17T04:27:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/545449\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T04:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T04:27:17","slug":"abbys-angle-tanking-isnt-a-crisis-in-the-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/545449\/","title":{"rendered":"Abby’s Angle: Tanking isn’t a crisis in the NBA"},"content":{"rendered":"

The hot topic of this NBA season is tanking<\/a>, which is defined as \u201cintentionally weakening a roster or prioritizing long-term development over short-term wins to secure better draft lottery odds.\u201d In the NBA, teams might sit their stars or ease off later in the season to have a bad record because the 14<\/a> NBA teams that miss the playoffs enter the draft lottery and compete for the No. 1 pick.<\/p>\n

The first four<\/a> picks are decided through a ping pong ball drawing, while picks 5-14 are ordered by regular season record: worst to best. The worse you are, the better your odds are for a top four pick, which this year\u2019s draft could give you AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson, prospects that could transform an entire franchise<\/p>\n

While tanking exists in many professional sports leagues, it\u2019s different in basketball. NBA rosters are smaller, so teams often build around one key player. Landing a franchise player with a high draft pick, as the San Antonio Spurs did with former Rookie<\/a> of the Year Victor Wembanyama, can instantly change a team\u2019s trajectory.<\/p>\n

This season, teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz were fined<\/a> for tanking. Such fines reach up to $500,000. During All-Star Weekend, NBA commissioner Adam Silver<\/a> said tanking is the worst it’s been in recent years, and he plans to address it. Currently, a third<\/a> of NBA teams are tanking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Silver said he is exploring \u201cevery possible remedy now to stop this behavior\u201d because “what we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now is not working. There’s no question about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, tanking is not a crisis, but an inevitable part of the NBA. It might frustrate fans when teams trade away stars and endure ugly seasons, but it’s a necessary evil for the ebb and flow of basketball to keep the sport interesting in the long run. It isn\u2019t pretty, but it gives teams control over their future and maintains a competitive balance in the league.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The NBA is a business, and tanking hurts the league by creating a losing culture, which hurts fan engagement. It also affects gambling<\/a> by deterring fans from betting, meaning “gambling companies’ wallets get lighter, which disrupts their partnerships with the NBA.\u201d Repetitive losing makes it harder for the league to encourage bettors, fans and business partners to participate.<\/p>\n

However, what the NBA doesn\u2019t understand is that most fans will accept a tank if it means future success. Tanking shows you care<\/a> and gives the fans hope, showing management is looking ahead to the future. The only thing worse than tanking is not trying to improve.<\/p>\n

The clear winners<\/a> of tanking in recent years are the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2025 NBA champions. They started<\/a> their tank in 2020, and went \u201cfrom the basement to the roof,\u201d mostly after their successful 2022<\/a> draft. Once second-overall pick Chet Holmgren became healthy after missing his rookie season, the Thunder soared and eventually won the championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Watching their development was fun. Fans love underdog stories, and I\u2019m sure Thunder fans are glad their few years of losing paid off.<\/p>\n

Teams that haven\u2019t embraced a tank yet, like the Atlanta Hawks, have sat at an uncomfortable standstill for the past five seasons. The Hawks finished last season at 40-42 and currently<\/a> sit at 36-31. In the NBA, the worst<\/a> place to be is right in the middle. Now, after tanking, the Hawks will sit at the 12th spot at the draft and pray a magical ping pong ball will transform their franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Silver\u2019s anti-tanking ideas<\/a> would throw the entire league for a loop, like basing lottery odds on two-year records or \u201cflattening odds for all lottery teams.\u201d These drastic changes would disrupt the league for years, especially considering this season\u2019s tanking surge is driven by the loaded<\/a> upcoming draft. Ten teams weren\u2019t tanking last year when Cooper Flagg was the only obvious star, creating<\/a> a \u201cperfect storm\u201d this season.<\/p>\n

Eliminating the lottery system is a better solution. If only a couple of teams are tanking instead of a third of the league, it makes tanking more digestible<\/a>. Without a \u201cmagical lottery\u201d system to improve odds, fewer teams would have an incentive to tank, like in the NFL.<\/p>\n

In recent years, whenever the NBA tries to fix a big issue, such as load management<\/a>, the solution often fosters new problems.<\/p>\n

Before the 2023-24 season, the NBA created a rule saying players must play 65 out of 82 regular-season games to be eligible for awards and honors, \u201can incentive for elite players to perform more often, driven by prestige.\u201d Before, some players sat out big games with faked or exaggerated injuries to preserve their health.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This load management rule created a lot of controversy, as stars<\/a> like Nikola Joki\u0107, Evan Mobley and Kawhi Leonard are all nearing the 18 of the 65 missed game limit. Managing workloads for players is necessary to protect players\u2019 short-term and long-term health<\/a>, but after all, the NBA is a business. Fans don\u2019t want to watch a game, buy merchandise or bet on a team if the biggest stars are sitting and the team doesn\u2019t want to win.<\/p>\n

Tanking is the same issue, and Silver\u2019s proposed changes aren\u2019t the answer. Shortening the NBA\u2019s 82-game season could fix the tanking and load management problem, giving players more rest and making games more meaningful. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr<\/a> advocated for a 72-game season, arguing it would create a \u201cmore competitive and healthier league\u201d if fewer games were played.<\/p>\n

Tanking is an overdramatized issue that doesn\u2019t deserve to be treated like a crisis, and drastic rule changes would be an overreaction. Tanking gives teams control, and sometimes a few ugly years are an appetizing price to building something incredible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are multiple great teams and storylines to watch headed into the playoffs; therefore, Silver needs to push tanking lower on his priority list and let it work itself out.<\/p>\n

Abby Shriver is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email\/message them at as064024@ohio.edu<\/a> \/ @abbyshriver_<\/a><\/p>\n