The Sixer Sense
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NBA remains ripe for Sam Hinkie return

By Bret Stuter

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and J. Cole attend the 2018 JBL Three-Point Contest at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and J. Cole attend the 2018 JBL Three-Point Contest at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks onstage during the All-Star Press Conference at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks onstage during the All-Star Press Conference at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

NBA Rules changed, only adding more uncertainty

The NBA rule committee, now concerned with the rather significant and rapid improvement to the Philadelphia 76ers, acted quickly to close the door to any NBA teams hoping to replicate their methods. The fear is that teams might pursue a “tanking” strategy to improve their NBA Lottery odds, with the worst team capped at 25 percent.

Now, that “best shot at the top pick” has been drastically reduced. Now the best possible odds of that top pick to any team falls to 14 percent. The worst team, once assured a top-three pick, is not only assured a top-five pick.  The top four picks are subject to the NBA lottery.

Rebuilding is now rebuilding with less opportunity to improve

Uncertainty. Uncertainty upon uncertainty. How does a front office hope to improve their club if their poor performance is rewarded of the fifth, not the first, draft pick?

Here is the press conference. You can catch the lottery reform question at the 5:45 mark.

And there it was, in the press conference. “Be Bad”, “Field bad teams”. The objective of reform simply aimed to flatten the odds. And that introduction of more uncertainty means NBA teams will seek out executives who know how to beat the odds.

Someone like Sam Hinkie.