Warriors' Draymond Green Offers Solution to NBA Tanking, Calls Out Kings for Fouling Seth Curry

Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green expressed his thoughts on the play-in, tanking and what the NBA can do to curtail it following the Dubs' 110-105 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

With 3:15 left in the game and the Kings leading by one, they intentionally fouled Warriors guard Seth Curry, who is a career 86.4 percent shooter from the free-throw line.

Curry made one of two free throws to tie the game, and the Warriors went on to win. Afterward, Green mentioned the intentional foul amid a conversation with reporters about tanking.

"I saw a team tonight foul Seth Curry with three minutes to go in a game for no reason," Green said. "In the penalty. [The play-in] ain't working. But we're gonna make the [postseason], so it works, I guess."

When asked what the NBA can do to stop tanking moving forward, Green suggested that the best way to make it happen is by hitting team governors where it hurts most: their bank accounts.

"I think I get fined when I do wrong," Green said. "Just fine the hell out of people. We love taking money from players, keep fining the teams. I've seen two fines. And we all know everybody tanking. But you've seen two fines."

Kings-Warriors Highlights

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Referencing tanking-related fines levied against the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers this season, Green added, "All of a sudden we got team issues, we don't know what to do. What happened to the whole take the money stuff? Everybody else trying to reach a quota too. But when it comes to player discipline, we want to snatch the money as fast as we can. When it comes to team discipline and we see 12 teams tanking, we've seen two fines. If my math serves me correctly, that's ten that ain't been fined. Just some quick math. It could be wrong so don't judge me if it's wrong. But we don't keep that same energy when it comes to teams, when it comes to officials, when it comes to everybody but players, we don't keep that same energy. But this is a players' league."

Green also noted that while he believes the play-in "worked initially," that is no longer the case, as evidenced by the Warriors being in 10th place in the Western Conference and having an 11.5-game lead over the 11th-place New Orleans Pelicans.

"I think the play-in was made for teams to not tank," Green said. "I think that's the part that everyone forgets. The play-in came about to make teams like maybe through 12 or 13th keep going. They ain't keep going. They kinda slowed down, and then they hit the brakes."

The NBA is well aware of the tanking issue, which is why the league presented three anti-tanking plans to the board of governors last month, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Some of the proposals included ideas such as including play-in and even some playoff teams in the draft lottery, adjusting the odds to win the lottery, taking two seasons of records into account, and instituting a win total floor.

It isn't yet known which proposal will gain the most momentum with voters, but given that tanking has been a constant talking point this season, it seems like a foregone conclusion that the league will do something to address it before next season.