I agree if that if the playoffs become "everyone gets a medal," then it decreases the incentive to be exceptional. It probably does contribute to salary containment. Whether that is made up for by teams not needing as big of a tank to be in playoff contention (hello, Lerner) or it leads to a bunch of teams saying "we are 83 wins now, if we get to 85 we have a decent shot at the playoffs," I think in theory you are right. I think in practice, players believe high earners drive the salaries of everyone up.