The NBA season may still be over a month away, but the Golden State Warriors are already being accused of undertaking the league’s newest form of tanking after a major change to the draft lottery.
The new lottery reform will benefit teams who just miss the playoffs, as opposed to those who finish bottom three in each conference. For a team like the Warriors who many are pencilling in as a Play-In Tournament team once again, it presents as a major and perhaps only silver lining to what would be a third playoff absence in the past four years.
Warriors already being accused of new form of tanking
There’s already a theory that teams could intentionally try to just miss the playoffs and prioritize their draft lottery position. That would appear difficult to do considering there would have to be a balance of competitiveness, but perhaps it could become a legitimate option for teams who don’t view themselves as genuine championship contenders.
According to Sam Quinn of the Third Apron podcast, Golden State fit into this mould as they await the return of six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler from injury.
"Can we come up with a term for tanking in the era of the relegation zone? Because what I sort of think the Warriors are doing is tanking, knowing that Stephen Curry will keep them out of the relegation zone. They're probably planning to have one of those 4-10 slots," Quinn said.
Quinn certainly has a point. The Warriors could be doing more to maximize the present and prioritize the remainder of Stephen Curry’s career. With the two-time MVP still playing at an elite level, they know that they’ll not only remain somewhat competitive if he remains relatively healthy, but that there’ll be no issues with ticket sales.
Warriors already have an eye on the future
Golden State appears comfortable with taking this as a gap year, part of which is admittedly outside their control after Butler’s devastating injury in January. They’ll have an eye to the longer term outlook with development through the likes of Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg, along with much attention placed on what they can do at the mid-season trade deadline and in free agency next year.
Next year’s draft may also be a bigger watch than previously envisioned before the lottery reform. Suddenly the Warriors could get access to a top pick even if they just narrowly miss the playoffs.
That doesn’t mean they’re not going to go out and not try to be a top six team in the Western Conference, but you suspect the front office has strategically placed this team for the likely reality that a Play-In appearance will once again be in store.
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