Why the NBA in-season tournament is a terrible idea

For years, the NBA has tried to implement an in-season tournament, and in 2023-24, those hopes will come to fruition. The league formally announced the tournament’s creation on July 8 during a special episode of ESPN’s NBA Today.

The In-Season Tournament will start on Nov. 3 and will include all 30 teams. The league will split those clubs into six groups of five — three per conference — with each of the five being chosen at random from “pots” of three that are separated by last year’s placement in the standings (“Pot 1” in the East featured the teams that finished 1-3 in the conference, for example).

Teams in each group will play each other on designated days (Tuesdays and Fridays throughout November) once. The top ones in each group and two “wild cards” (non-group winners with the best record in group play) will move onto an eight-team single elimination bracket. Las Vegas will host the semifinals and finals on Dec. 7 and 9.

As for the stakes, the tournament winners will receive the NBA Cup, and the players that reach the knockout round will get between $50,000 and $500,000 each, depending on where their team finished.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1677826994241691650

The league hopes that this attempt to emulate European soccer leagues will help reinvigorate casual fan interest in the regular season. But will a generic tournament for an equally bland trophy and a modest monetary boost have such an effect?