Proposed Anti-Tanking Rules Could Hurt Wizards' Rebuild

Limiting protections is not a bad idea, and should actually be welcomed. Picks should more than likely only be limited to the top ten in the draft, as those teams are usually the ones that did not make the play-in tournament. This would make it clear which teams willingly tank just to get their pick back. The other two suggestions are just insane to think they would work well.

Not allowing teams to draft in the top four in back-to-back seasons sounds fine and dandy until you realize it's too late for it. The San Antonio Spurs are on the verge of becoming a superteam because they have drafted in the top four in back-to-back-to-back seasons. They did get lucky and move up in some of those drafts, but it is not fair to implement this now after a team has taken advantage of it. It creates a disadvantage for the Wizards, who look poised to get a top-three pick this season. If anything, it should be set up as if you get the first overall pick, you cannot select in the top three next season. This means teams like the Spurs cannot dominate the draft over others like the Wizards.

Finally, locking lottery positions after March first would make tanking worse. It allows a team that is two games out of the playoffs a week before that deadline to intentionally lose games to get a better draft position. Then, that team could still make the playoffs and go on a deep run. It could create a draft monopoly for specific teams. In the rare case as well, a team could win the championship and still have the first overall pick because they tanked a week or two before that deadline, moved up in the draft, and then try to start winning again after securing a good pick.

All of these suggestions, though, would force Washington to find a way to quickly get out of the rebuild after this season. Teams have already reaped the benefits of the current draft system. In contrast, the Wizards have done nothing but suffer, consistently falling back in the draft instead of moving up or staying put. The NBA has recognized the problem too late. It is going to create a power vacuum where teams like the Wizards can never properly rebuild. Teams like the Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will always be ahead of everyone else.