The 2023-24 NBA season debuts the In-Season Tournament which was included in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This idea was introduced in late 2019 when the NBA proposed new rules that included a 78 game regular season, a play-in tournament, and re-seeding the Conference Finals. It was confirmed on Jul. 8 the In-Season Tournament would debut during this season though many people were initially against the idea. Now that it is underway, it has been very entertaining for most fans, especially with customized courts for each team. Let’s get into it.
Groups
There are six groups of five based on last season's standings.
West Group A
Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers
West Group B
Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
West Group C
Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
East Group A
Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons
East Group B
Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets
East Group C
Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
Format
The format is very similar to the FIFA World Cup with six groups of five. In Group Play, teams play the other teams in their group once (two games at home and two games on the road). Group Play games take place every Tuesday and Friday in November. Yes, these games impact regular season records. The winner of each group and a wild card team in each conference advance to the quarterfinals which takes place on Dec. 4-5. Teams who fail to qualify continue their regular season against other non-qualifying teams in games that have not yet been scheduled by the NBA. Teams who won the quarterfinal games will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, where the semifinals and championship takes place on Dec. 7. The four losers of the quarterfinals play a second game against another losing team. The two winners of the semifinals will meet in the championship, an eighty-third game that does not have any impact on the regular season.
Prize
Many people dislike the championship prize of $500K per player. Yes, it is a lot of money, but it may not motivate some of the NBA stars. This includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Kevin Durant, who will treat tournament games no differently than regular season games. Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers stated, “I think the greatest incentive for everybody to do it would be an automatic playoff bid. If it was a playoff spot, I think everyone would take it very, very serious, right? I think the older teams would take it serious. But then it might … what would [the winning team] do then?” Though this is a better idea, like Haliburton mentioned, the winning team would not care about the regular season and would only play their star players when forced. Some better ideas can be a team getting a few extra wins, no resting penalty, or the city that wins gets to host all star weekend.
Courts and Uniforms
On Oct. 30, the NBA also introduced special fully painted courts for Group Play and the quarterfinals. These courts include an NBA Cup, a 16 foot runway, NBA Cup silhouettes, and the team logo. This will also be the first time the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Portland Trail Blazers have ever played on alternate courts. On Nov. 2, the NBA introduced the Nike City Edition Uniforms for the 2023-24 season, which home teams will wear for tournament games as well as other games throughout the season.
My Thoughts
Barry Gossage via Getty Images
At first, I hated the idea of the tournament. However, after looking at the format again, I fell in love with it. Two major factors are games impacting the regular season and the Final Four taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With tournament games counting as regular season games, both casual and die-hard fans will watch. Commissioner Adam Silver wants contenders to take the regular season more seriously. This has been proven with the new load management rules. Stars can no longer rest during important games. The NBA is defining this term with nationally televised games and tournament games. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are currently one of the biggest rivalries in the league and the two going back and forth in the clutch of a tournament game is something the casual fans would watch. We saw this on Friday night during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-119 victory over the Phoenix Suns. That is why the NBA schedules the tournament.
It is no secret that the NBA wants to have an expansion in the next few years with teams in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Seattle, Washington. We already have the Summer League in Las Vegas and adding onto that is a great idea. The Las Vegas Raiders relocated from Oakland, California in 2020 and the Las Vegas Golden Knights expanded in 2017. It is clear that the city wants to have an NBA team and if the Final Four goes well, Las Vegas will likely be rewarded with an NBA team in the next few years.
The tournament has been a blast throughout the first two nights. It will continue tonight with a ten game slate featuring Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder as well as Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets hosting Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers.
Let me know if you think the tournament is a good idea for the NBA and who you think will raise the trophy on Dec. 9.