Sunday Q&A: Stu Jackson, former NBA VP

Stu Jackson is a former NBA head coach and the former executive vice president of the NBA. More recently, he has worked as an analyst on NBA TV. All those jobs make him uniquely qualified to answer a set of questions about the league from the Star Tribune's Michael Rand:

Q There is a lot of talk of "tanking" and teams intentionally losing in the NBA. How much of that do you think is perception and how much is reality?

A My view has always been that the perception is greater than the reality with most teams. I think every franchise has reasons why they make certain decisions with their personnel, in terms of managing their salary cap situation to allow for certain trades or free agency, and it really depends on the stage of development respective franchises are in. Those decisions are not the same for everyone. For some it might take on the appearance that a team is tanking when they're really just managing their own development.

Q Is there an incentive for teams to lose — with the NBA being a league where one player, chosen through the draft, can completely change the fortunes of a franchise?

A Because the of the collective bargaining agreement and the way its structured today, there's an incentive to build from the ground up. What I mean is, it's common knowledge within the NBA, in this collective bargaining agreement, you can get stuck in that stage of mediocrity. When you're stuck in that stage, it's very difficult to trade or [acquire] free agents to get out. What has proven, in terms of building a franchise that has sustainability over time, is you have to utilize all three vehicles you have to build, including the draft — which may be, to your point, the most important.

Q If tanking isn't a big issue, what is one thing the NBA needs to clean up or figure out going forward?

A I think the lottery system is one area to start. Greater minds than mine will have to figure out how to improve the system, but the percentage number of times the team with the worst record in the league has actually gotten the first pick is fairly low. That doesn't feel right to me given the objective.

A I like both the frontcourt players. I think it's what flavor you think your franchise needs. To me, [Jahlil] Okafor as a low post scorer is the more dominant player, but it seems Karl-Anthony Towns is a little bigger and longer. He has the ability, down the road, to move out further on the floor and become both an inside and outside threat.

Q Who's your league MVP?

A I'm a [Stephen] Curry guy. He's the best player on the best team. He's done it more efficiently than [James] Harden has.

Q I don't know how much you saw of the Wolves this year, but give me your scouting report on Andrew Wiggins. What's his ceiling in your mind?