Kenny Atkinson weighs in on the NBA tanking debate
CLEVELAND — Tanking has been a bigger issue this season than most, at least based on the way the national media covers it. As a result, the NBA is trying to find ways to curb it.
According to a recent report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the league is looking to add anti-tank measures. Things on the table include: changing protections for first-round picks, freezing lottery odds at the start of the season, making odds based on multiple years’ record, flattening odds, and more.
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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson heard the noise. At the moment, it doesn’t have a good solution to fix the alleged problem.
“I kind of don’t want to get into that,” Atkinson said when asked if there was a tanking issue before Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. “It’s so complex.”
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There are many moving parts to the tanking conversation, and not all of them have to do with the draft.
The current CBA has incentivized star players to leave operations instead of acting freely. This has created an environment where draft picks have become arguably more valuable than ever in operations. Playing the odds would change the currency and value of those choices.
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Then there’s also the fact that it’s difficult to get talent to come to small markets, like Cleveland. As the Cavs have proven, the draft isn’t the only way to bring in talent, but it’s one of the easiest and simplest ways to do so.
“I understand all sides,” Atkinson said. “Teams want to have another James Harden, they want a Donovan Mitchell, so I understand that. But I also understand the side of where we want a competitive game every night for the media, for the fans, for the coaches, right? Competition is what the NBA is all about.”
Figuring out how to make games matter but also funnel talent to the league’s worst teams has been a difficult balance for the NBA to find. Even if you find a way to get rid of tanking, you can’t stop teams from being bad. Presumably, a healthy sports league that has gone to great lengths to ensure competitive balance doesn’t want bad teams to remain bad year after year.
We’ll see what the League will do to resolve this problem. There are many potential solutions, but none that clearly help all parties involved.
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“I’ve seen all the alternative proposals,” Atkinson said. “I wish I could sit here and say, hey, I want to support this. I haven’t studied it that deeply, but I understand the feeling and the frustration.”