Justin Verrier

and so we're used to on this podcast everywhere else in the nba to be like oh old faces new places let's let's kind of diagnose all this new stuff that's going on instead we're seeing teams not play those guys in in dc in india sounds like zubach isn't going to play for a little bit

Or you're seeing them just get benched for no fucking reason.

Like the point of basketball as a product, as an entertainment source, is to watch these amazing athletes do what they do.

To suggest that they're not going to do that as much as they can is really like kind of chilling in terms of just like the future of the sport, I think.

I guess my question though, Kyle, is the NBA's goal to just satisfy the fans that they already have?

That NBA fans are aware of this and they're keen to the fact that short-term pain leads to long-term gain and that the team could be something and the way to do that is this.

Have they honestly been institutionalized to that point?

I think we could talk about that as well.

Or do we need to worry about the casual fans, especially as football comes and takes over more and more of like the sports mindset?

They're coming into Christmas and all these other parts of the NBA schedule that used to be NBA specific.

Because if you're a casual fan and you're seeing teams not care, and I think it's going to be like probably a third of the league down the stretch here, just not care, not play good basketball, not even aspire to do so, actually try subterfuge in order to get to that point.

Like, is it really causing long-term damage that's just not as loud?

Is that just appropriate cover for what teams have learned works versus what should happen?

What if the NBA, just like everybody, actually put together a good enough product so that the stretch run was actually interesting?

That these races for the get into the play-in or seeding actually mattered more?

And so I ultimately think you guys are right.

Griping about the way the league is now

It's tough to really find a way where things can get better because I think humans will always adapt and find ways to do something like this.

My thing is I think perhaps the point is we need to start attacking the incentive structure head on.

There was already kind of burbling about this in the league office that they were going to consider more dire consequences over the offseason, changing some of the rules.