{"id":46462,"date":"2022-03-22T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=46462"},"modified":"2022-03-21T19:45:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T23:45:50","slug":"the-nba-play-in-tournament-is-flawed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2022\/03\/22\/the-nba-play-in-tournament-is-flawed\/","title":{"rendered":"The NBA Play-In Tournament is Flawed"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re inching closer to the NBA postseason and the second NBA play-in tournament. <\/span><\/p>\n

With March Madness upon us, we become captivated by the chance of shocking upsets in a single-elimination format. Despite the long odds of a 15-seeded St Peter\u2019s defeating a second-seed Kentucky, we tune in to watch. And when the near-impossible happens, we\u2019re reminded why the NCAA Tournament is one of the most exciting sports events of the year. <\/span><\/p>\n

The NBA is trying to capture similar magic with the play-in tournament. Once again,<\/span> 10 teams from each conference will qualify for the postseason.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are three reasons why the NBA play-in tournament is flawed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three Flaws with the NBA Play-In Tournament<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. The NBA is Rewarding Mediocrity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The NBA regular season is a grind. There are usually teams that come on strong late in the year and either snatch the #8 seed or fall just short. That push alone already raises the stakes – and ratings – in March and April. During an 82-game regular season, teams have 82 chances to win enough games to qualify for the playoffs. This seemed to work just fine. Until it didn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last season, the regular season was shortened to 72 games. By eliminating 10 regular-season games, the NBA rightfully wanted to keep teams making those late-season runs – and their fans – invested in the NBA product. The 7-10 seeds in the East – the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Charlotte Hornets – all finished the regular season at .500 or worse. In the West, the 10th seeded San Antonio Spurs qualified for the postseason with a losing record (33-39).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the regular season ended today, 4 teams who would qualify for the play-in tournament as the 9 & 10 seeds in each conference – the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Hornets, and Atlanta Hawks – all currently sit at .500 or worse. Why is the NBA rewarding mediocrity?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Teams who \u201csurvive\u201d the play-in tournament are awarded the 7th and 8th seeds in their conference. Exactly <\/span>zero<\/span><\/i> 7th and 8th seeds have ever won an NBA title. It seems fraught to build anticipation around the play-in tournament when the teams who qualify for it have been largely mediocre all season. Especially if – historically speaking – they have no shot at competing for a championship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Rewarding Mediocrity Dilutes the NBA Regular-season Product<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Lakers currently sit 10+ games under .500. If the season ended today they would qualify for the West’s play-in tournament as the 9th seed. Despite the Lakers’ ineptitude, LeBron James<\/a> <\/strong>has the league\u2019s <\/span>top-selling jersey<\/span><\/a>. Financially speaking, it\u2019s great for the NBA if the Lakers are in the playoffs. But does a team that loses 40 of their first 69 games really deserve to be<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>in the postseason? If so,<\/span> why should fans be invested in an 82-game season? The league is already considering ways to address this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year <\/span>reports surfaced<\/span><\/a> of a mid-season tournament, aimed at capturing more public interest during a time when NBA ratings are generally at their lowest. While conceptually exciting, it\u2019s still unclear how a mid-season tournament in the NBA might impact playoff seeding and eligibility. In college hoops, mid-major programs with losing records can earn automatic bids to the \u2018big dance\u2019 by winning their conference tournaments. Would the NBA award the Detroit Pistons – more than 30 games below .500 –\u00a0 an automatic playoff birth if they miraculously won the [proposed] mid-season tournament? Probably not. <\/span><\/p>\n

Keep this in mind: In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons trail the top-seeded Miami Heat by 28 games. In the Western Conference, The Lakers trail the top-seeded Phoenix Suns by 28 games. Neither of these teams has performed well enough during the regular season to deserve<\/em> a postseason birth. But because of the play-in tournament, the Lakers will earn one. If the NBA wants to reward mediocrity, at least do it equitably.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Impact of the Play-In Tournament on NBA Draft Lottery Odds\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u00a0The <\/span>NBA draft lottery rules<\/span><\/a> are determined by regular-season record, but the current system weighs the 2 potential play-in games heavier than any 2 regular-season games. Last season the Golden State Warriors finished the regular season with the 15th best record in the NBA. After dropping two consecutive games in the play-in tournament and missing the playoffs they were awarded the 14th pick in the draft.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Wizards finished last season with 5 fewer regular-season wins than the Warriors. Washington, however, won both of their play-in games. They advanced to the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs and lost to the Sixers 4-1. Despite having five fewer regular-season wins than the Warriors, the Wizards picked one spot <\/span>behind <\/span><\/i>Golden State in the draft. Flip-flopping one spot in the middle of the first round may not appear too significant. It does, however, demonstrate how the weight of the play-in tournament can have a disproportionate impact on draft odds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NBA should adapt the draft-lottery format to properly weigh regular-season performance. The 10 teams who <\/span>don\u2019t<\/span><\/i> qualify for any postseason action should be locked in with top-10 draft odds based on the regular-season record. The four play-in teams who don\u2019t advance to the first round should be reseeded 11-14 according to their regular-season record.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NBA Play-In Tournament is Flawed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The play-in tournament rewards mediocrity and complicates the draft lottery odds.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NBA either needs to solve the issues with the play-in tournament <\/span>or<\/span><\/i> lean into it even more.<\/span><\/p>\n

As March Madness sweeps the nation, would the NBA consider creating a 30-team end-of-season single-elimination tournament to crown a champion? Probably not – but we\u2019d watch it if they did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Main Image: Embed from Getty Images<\/a>