The 30 biggest questions for the 2018-19 NBA season

30 biggest questions for the 2018-19 NBA season

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /

24. Who will join the tanking race?

Reforms that alter the NBA Draft Lottery odds will kick in this season, so the five worst teams will now have an equal chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. Many in the league office are surely hopeful that these reforms will curb the rampant tanking that so many teams exhibited last year.

Count me as skeptical.

The way I see it, Atlanta, Sacramento and New York are all going to be dreadful no matter what. I’d be shocked if they didn’t take up three of those five top spots. Two left. Chicago, Phoenix and Dallas can talk all the talk they want about how they’re going to try to win games this year, but none of them have a chance at a playoff spot, not even the Bulls in the East.

Even more, Orlando will have the same exact struggles they had last season, and the Brooklyn Nets have their own draft pick for the first time in approximately 85 years. Are they really going to keep to their principles when the rubber hits the road?

What we’re left with is four or five teams deciding between being in the lottery with the best chances for the No.1 pick or being in the lottery without the best chances for the No. 1 pick. That’s a pretty easy decision.

Because of all this, my guess is that we’ll just plenty of tanking next season, just with a slightly different inflection point. Teams will be doing all they can to avoid having the sixth worst record once all is said and done.