Fixing Tanking By Making Everything More Confusing, With Tom Ley

Take one look at the NBA standings lately and you’ll discover that teams like the Jazz, Kings, Wizards, and Nets are slacking off even more than they have in previous seasons. It’s made for some pretty dire television. Last week, NBA commissioner and Tim Burton character Adam Silver informed the general public that he intended to do something about it. Will Silver simplify the byzantine rules surrounding protected draft picks? Might he even get rid of the draft altogether? Pfft. Pish posh. Did you really expect a lawyer to make things less complicated? No, instead the NBA has proposed even more rules on top of all of those other rules. Are any of these tweaks a good idea? THAT, dear listeners, is the subject of this week’s Distraction.

But wait! That’s not all you get for your money. With David Roth stranded by Winter Storm Scary Name, Defector bossman Tom Ley bravely stepped into the breach to act as my sparring partner for 45 and change. We wrapped up the Winter Olympics, spent a brief moment ruminating over how the Trump people went about ruining the good vibes those games elicited, and we both agreed with Pat Riley that NBA coaches should wear fancy suits again, if only because it’s more fun to watch a grown man roid out on the sideline while clad in Armani rather than in athleisure.