There is a saying in life that if you are not getting better, then you are getting worse. It can be applied to all aspects of daily life, including how executives run a large corporation. The NBA, like all professional leagues around the world, tries to improve its product every offseason by introducing new rules, and innovations to attract a bigger audience. Last week, they released a surprising advertisement during the telecast of Summer League that this season will see the introduction of an In-season Tournament. The inaugural In-Season Tournament will begin on Friday, November 3, 2023, and will include the 30 teams randomly drawn into groups of 5 based on their conference. The teams will play each member of the group once, with two games at home and two on the road. The top six teams from each group and the two best second-place wild card teams will advance to a knockout quarter-final and semifinal round. The tournament will culminate with the Finals on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In this article, we discuss the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly we anticipate from this tournament.
The Good
The NBA is the second most popular league in North America behind the NFL. The NFL is better because of its ability to market and produce a better product on the field with just a 17-game regular season. By introducing this tournament, the NBA is trying to create some excitement because most fans get bored with the 81-game regular season and tune in closer to the playoffs. The league has strategically placed the tournament from November to early December to create buzz by keeping the audience engaged for more of the season. The tournament is similar to European soccer leagues that have a regular season and an in-season knockout tournament for another trophy. These tournaments are successful in that sport, but will it carry over into basketball? I think the concept is worth an attempt by the league, and they have chosen Tuesdays and Fridays to play most of these games to avoid clashes with college and pro football. It will be interesting to see whether fans tune in to watch this tournament during football season.
The Bad
The downside of this move is that players should be incentivized to win this tournament. It is widely reported that each player on the winning team will make $500,000. However, that is a small incentive based on current contracts. However, imagine if the amount was doubled or tripled then players might become more interested in pushing themselves to win. Another negative of the tournament is the stigma the tournament will have at the outset. The ultimate prize for a player all their life is to win an NBA championship and not to become the In-Season tournament champion. A player winning this tournament may not be worth it because of the stigma and perception of winning the less important trophy. Can you imagine the mockery if James Harden or Chris Paul were to win this trophy and never lift the Larry Obrien? In European soccer, winning the league is the most important trophy but winning the knockout tournament cup is still respected by fans who brag about how many trophies they have over their rivals. Hopefully, winning the cup over the years will gain more respect, and fans will embrace the team winning it as an achievement.
The Ugly
A negative part of the NBA culture today that past players hate is that the stars today miss too many games to get rest. The big question for the NBA is whether teams will take this tournament seriously and play their best players consistently. The alternative would mean this tournament will become like a summer league part 2, which would be unwatchable. Another viewpoint is that it might not be wise to play your superstar-heavy minutes so early in the season. Can you imagine if Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid were to get injured while chasing the glory of the NBA Cup? Yes, there is a scenario in which this tournament can backfire with a serious injury to a superstar. That would be a nightmare scenario, but playing any basketball at all carries the possibility of injury. Right?
Yes, I’m excited, torn, and intrigued by the possibilities of the first NBA In-season tournament.