The Big Fix

We all love the NBA for different reasons, but one thing is empirically, provably true. It is the greatest sports league that has ever existed or ever will exist.

However, we can also acknowledge that there is a fundamental issue that no amount of tweaking can fix. Too many teams lack stakes too much of the time — or even worse, those stakes run counter to winning. This creates external tension (too many games in which only one team wants to win) and internal tension (a coach who wants to keep his/her job must follow directives from the front office to lose).

An additional thesis is that there is too great of a focus on the Post Season in NBA (and more broadly, American sports) discourse. There are reasons for this. Legends are made in the playoffs. The greatest achievements are in the playoffs. We understand that. But the focus has gone too far. If everyone is wondering “how do we make the regular season matter more,” one unexplored answer is to change the dialogue by changing the stakes. Having the best regular-season record is empirically a very big achievement, certainly mathematically on par with (if not superior to) winning 4 rounds. We should foreground and celebrate the Maurice Podoloff Trophy more prominently.

The HWRI is authorized to present The Big Fix — a universal adjustment to the year-long cadence of the NBA calendar.