The NBA is trying to redefine entertainment in the Regular season, and the NBA In Season Tournament is a brand new idea. The new CBA put this tournament into place to improve productivity in the Regular Season.
The NBA explains the structure of the tournament and how all the activities work tonight at 7:30 pm.
The NBA In Season Tournament: Good or Bad?
How does the Tournament work?
The tournament puts all 30 NBA teams into a pool and splits up the teams into five groups of 6 teams. They play in a group format where each team plays at least four games. The winners of the pools advance to a single-elimination round. Additionally, there are two wildcard teams as well. The Semifinals and Finals take place December 7th and 9th in Las Vegas. The winner gets a $500,000 prize rewarded to each player of the winning team. If a team reaches the finals, the prize is $200,000. There are other awards from the league for specific results.
Why is it Good?
The tournament is good for the NBA because it makes the regular season matter. The regular occurrence of load management from players in the NBA makes it difficult to field a consistent product. Therefore, the NBA incentivizes players to consistently show up. Also, players want to get paid, and winning this tournament does that job.
Furthermore, it creates a different flair for the NBA because it brings over elements from International Fútbol. It allows the league to expand into an international realm that the league promotes. The NBA needs to give fans a reason to care about the Regular season, so a tournament makes the NBA far more intriguing.
Why is it Bad?
The issue with the tournament is that it takes away from the gravity of the Playoffs and the Finals. In theory, the players would gear up and win this tournament but not even make the playoffs. Therefore, it devalues winning in the NBA, as it is difficult to win an NBA Championship. Although the awards are different, winning is the common denominator, and another tournament takes away from success in the postseason.
The league will need to figure out if there becomes an issue with motivation from the teams with younger players around winning the rest of the season if they win this tournament.
Last Word
The NBA In-Season is a revolutionary idea that creates a new buzz for the NBA. The Regular Season gets more competitive. Players can shine in an exciting, pressurized environment. However, the concern with adding another tournament into a league is a potential obstacle for motivating players to want to win games after this tournament concludes. Hopefully, the players, the NBA, and the fans get good value from this new addition to basketball.
