In the previous chapter, we introduced several methods by which we can and should explore a data set as a prerequisite to conducting any statistical tests or performing specialized analysis. No doubt, the most significant finding from our analysis in chapter 2 is that, by and large, players who have the most productive professional careers were selected high in the first round of the NBA draft, whereas players who have modest careers, or even worse, were usually picked later in the first round—at least based on the 2000 to 2009 drafts. This finding creates an obvious incentive for teams to somehow get to the top of the draft board.
Tanking is the practice of purposely losing games in one season to secure a higher pick in the draft prior to the next season. The NBA draft, held annually during the offseason, is where teams take turns selecting the best eligible players from the United States and abroad. Like drafts in other US professional sports, the NBA draft is the exact opposite of a meritocracy; it’s a worst-selects-first system that “awards” teams with the lowest number of wins with the opportunity to pick highest in the draft and therefore obtain rights to the best available players.