The NBA is talking about implementing a play-in game (or mini-series) for the 7-8 spots in the playoffs. I'm not totally opposed to that, but I think it solves none of the NBA's real problems, which are tanking and competitive balance. Tanking is going to be off the charts this year with
Do they think a team like Dallas is going to say, 'hey, if we play hard instead of tanking, we might be able to get to 10th and play Portland for the chance to get swept by GS in the first round of the playoffs.' The problem with the league comes down to the (mostly accurate) perception that you need multiple superstars to contend, and the only way for most markets to acquire superstars is by winning the draft lottery, preferably multiple years in a row. Changing the competitive balance at the top end would do far more to fix the tanking problem than creating a couple play-in spots or fiddling with the draft odds.
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