Reason #44: No draft means no late season tanking.

By: Freaknick

Isn’t the last month of the NBA season simply riveting?  Four to six teams battle it out for a chance to get booted by a top seed in the first round*.  Meanwhile, in half-full arenas across the country, teams that threw in the towel some time in January trot out a rookie laden bunch that does its best to keep the losing margin respectable.  On the bench, the jammed pinky of an All-Star’s non-shooting hand has sidelined him indefinitely.  Maybe he’ll come back this season, but what’s the rush?  The upper management watches the losses pile up, but on the inside they are smiling; visions of sugar plums and decorated ping pong balls dance in their mind’s eye. To them, the current season ended a long time ago, but the draft-this phenomenon of sport which rewards the biggest loser with the greatest prize-the draft is but a few months away.

*with the exception of the 2007 Golden State Warriors, who beat the top seeded Mavericks.  And there was much rejoicing.