As soon as Duke dominated Kentucky in Tuesday's season-opening Champions Classic with three freshmen in the top five of ESPN's draft rankings leading the way, the refrain hit social media: Time for NBA teams with little hope of reaching the playoffs to start tanking for the 2019 NBA draft.
However, losing your way to the top of the draft order is no longer as easy as it was last season. New draft-lottery rules kick in this season, flattening the odds of securing one of the top picks. The team with the NBA's worst record is only guaranteed the No. 5 pick at worst now, rather than No. 4.
Given the changes, is playing for draft position still a worthwhile strategy?