Part 5/8:
The debate raged on radio waves about the mechanisms of the draft and the ethics of ‘tanking’ games. While players and coaches are solely focused on winning in the here and now, the reality is that decisions made in the front office significantly affect the trajectory of the franchise. Many fans called for a revamp in the draft system—proposing a lottery for the bottom teams to curtail calculated losing, an idea that would shift the focus from teams grinding through a difficult season to ensuring that every team can compete effectively through better prospects.