Tanking is a contentious debate within NBA circles. On one hand, it’s a very legitimate strategy for teams to bottom out in order to have the best chance of drafting a great prospect who will be cost-controlled for years. On the other hand, it is objectively worse for the NBA’s entertainment value as teams opt to play worse players in order to increase their odds of losing.
While it is a “legal” right of teams to undergo this process, it’s rare that any admit to them. Mark Cuban, however, is not your ordinary team owner. The Dallas Mavericks’ head honcho appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and once again admitted that the Mavs did try to tank:
“The Mavs, once we were eliminated from the playoffs, we did everything we could to lose games […] You play all your young players. Once a guy walks on the court, they’re going to play their hearts out, particularly the young guys cause they have something to prove. So you know, Dorian Finney-Smith, Yogi Ferrell, there’s nothing you could do or say to them to say ‘don’t play hard or try to lose this game.’ That wouldn’t be right and I don’t think any NBA team would ever do that.”
Obviously, this isn’t surprising but it is notable that Cuban is so comfortable admitting it. That’s a sign that tanking is more or less accepted within the league.
Personally, I don’t think it’s as big of an issue as we tend to make of it. Those teams in position to tank are generally not entertaining anyway. In fact, they often become more fun when they unleash their young players to play heavy minutes in order to make it in the league.
