Justin Verrier

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.

I think we're at that point.

I would just love a situation where at the very least a team can't take for so many years, right?

I think my proposal...

And people always have their own proposal.

I think mine would be something more on the moderate side where, yeah, you could tank two years.

We get it.

This is like how it works.

But like three or four, that's when things start to boil over.

Is there like a middle ground where like we could do some of this, but not this every fucking year?

Yeah, no, you have to avoid intent if you're going to put new restrictions in place.

I think it would be as simple as you can't be in the five worst records two years in a row.

And if you are, you get sent to the back of the first round or something like that, where it's just purely based on objective data, which is record.