Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective 2nd MVP Straw Poll - Late Surges Enough For New MVP? + Possible Tanking Solution?
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Feb 20, 2026 They debate MVP momentum shifts and who could surge late to win the award. Shea Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic availability, Wembanyama and Cade’s rising cases get intense attention. They also tackle tanking, including proposals to reward wins and how draft incentives shape team behavior.
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Owner's Anti-Tanking Rhetoric vs. Actions
- Brian Windhorst reads Matt Ishbia's anti-tanking tweet and notes Ishbia traded away draft control, creating tension between words and actions.
- Tim MacMahon and Windhorst stress many franchises have previously benefited from tanking, complicating moralizing on the topic.
Flip Incentives By Rewarding Wins
- Tim Bontemps proposes counting wins (not losses) toward lottery positioning at a set point to flip incentives late in the season.
- The change would make late-season games meaningful and reduce teams resting stars or strategically losing.
Make The Second Half Matter
- Changing the lottery to value wins near the trade deadline would make more teams compete and keep fans engaged post–Super Bowl.
- That would improve product quality during a dreary two-month stretch when many teams currently have no incentive to play hard.