The NBA In-Season Tournament regular season concluded this Tuesday, with the playoff bracket finalized for the first week of December. Here are my opinions, pros, and cons of how I thought NBA commissioner Adam Silver's addition to the regular season panned out.
The New Look Courts:
I understand the appeal, and the reasons why the association implemented these vivacious pieces of hardwood. Let's say you've got a casual NBA fan surfing through their TV guide, and they arrive on TNT or NBA TV and they see these different colors and logos. The curiosity of the fan takes priority; they feel an urge to learn more. For the NBA, views soar, money increases, and ad revenue grows. ESPN, who typically shows a double-header on Friday, an in-season tournament day, has seen their viewership vault over 1.5 million viewers, a 24% increase from Friday games the previous season. On Tuesdays, the other in-season tournament date, viewership is up 7%. While these numbers could be chalked up due to pure luck, it is more likely that the advertising, announcing, and promotion of the IST is what has resulted in this change.
However, for me, the courts have been more of a distraction than an added benefit. I don't like drastic change, and I'm a creature of habit. TD Garden in Boston, Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Staples Center in Los Angeles (now the despicable Crypto.com arena) all carry that classic, homey, and iconic feeling. I think that changing the courts, however, feels as though the history of that stadium is being decimated. What happened to John Havlicek's steal? The Kobe Bryant game-winner against Phoenix? Willis Reed's miraculous attempt to play in the NBA Finals? I understand that small adjustments are made each year, but not to the point where the entire design shifts.
Incentives:
A few months ago, on the Paul George podcast, PG13 mentioned that when the NBA first approached the players and the Players Association with the idea for the in-season tournament, the prize for the winner was going to be a million dollars, which is a lot of money for anyone. Strangely, somewhere between then and the announcement of the tournament, the prize money was actually cut in half. But $500,000 is still a boatload of money for anyone. Of course, to players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, half a million dollars is just a drop in the bucket. But for rookies or benchwarmers, especially those who play in New York or California with high state taxes, that type of money could change their lives. I think the incentive was very strong. There was a lot of suggestion from players and fans alike that the winning team should automatically secure a spot in the NBA playoffs, but I feel that a guaranteed spot in the dance would really dampen the meaning of the regular season.
Format:
For me, the format of the IST was extremely confounding. It combined the World Cup and March Madness into one tournament, and the decision to take point-differential into account was very questionable. If you're up by thirty in the fourth quarter, but you need an additional eight points to gain the top seed in your group, do you throw your starting five out on the floor? Or do you leave your third string in the game out of respect for your opponent? It feels like a lose-lose situation to me, and it isn't very sportsmanlike. However, I do feel playing the final games in Las Vegas was a great decision for both the players and the fans. I think that a new location, different atmosphere, and impartial audience for a few games adds a new element to the playing style and strategy.
Overall, I think this was a fantastic move by Adam Silver and the NBA. The increase of fan engagement, bonuses, and new features that really spiced up the league and made me look forward to each Tuesday and Friday. Of course, it could always be improved but overall, hats off to the NBA on their first ever in-season tournament.
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