"Each year, the stretch of the NBA season from the All-Star Break to the beginning of the playoffs invites a moral panic about the purportedly existential specter of 'tanking': the practice that dates back most infamously, and brazenly, to Sam Hinkie's 'Process' in Philly in the 2010s."
"Tanking is a strategy largely engineered by the front offices and coaching staffs empowered to decide which of these players actually see the floor."
"As the calendar turns to Fraudulent February and Mickey Mouse March, the Association's least winningest teams tend to indulge their increasingly brazen forward-thinking instincts."
"They pull their starters, shut down their stars, green-light superfluous surgical procedures, and hold their noses as they race to the bottom for the best possible odds at a franchise remaking superstar."
Tanking in the NBA is a strategy where teams deliberately lose games to secure a better position in the draft lottery. This practice, notably seen during Sam Hinkie's tenure in Philadelphia, is often executed by front offices and coaching staffs rather than the players themselves. As the season progresses towards the playoffs, struggling teams may rest their starters and make questionable decisions to enhance their chances of acquiring a top draft pick, which is viewed as a crucial step in rebuilding a franchise.
Read at BKMAG
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