[Prudence]

And I doubt the NBA believes that a dress code will fix all their problems. However, there is a perception problem and appearance is part of perception. Slacks won't magically make players behave, but it might make others perceive them differently. It's also a way to draw distinction between player and fan. (Aside from the obvious height difference.)

Let's be realistic -- if two people are brawling and one's wearing bling and one's in Dockers, the tendency is to afford more credence to the brawler in Dockers.