The NBA In-Season Tournament is here

[Wally450]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...chedule-groups

Silver has long been fascinated with European soccer, and the basis for the NBA's in-season tournament lies in the cup tournaments across Europe. In those leagues, there is a regular-season championship, determined by the team with the most points over the full year, and then a separate tournament (or, in some leagues, multiple tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season.

Unlike European soccer tournaments, though, which all are played outside of the league schedule, the NBA Cup is built into the NBA's regular-season schedule. The 30 teams were split up into six five-team groups.

The four group stage games will be played on seven November dates: four Fridays (Nov. 3, 10, 17 and 24) and three Tuesdays (Nov. 14, 21 and 28).

The quarter finals will be played Dec. 4 and 5 at the higher-seeded team, and the semifinals and championship game will be Dec. 7 and 9 in Las Vegas.

[SouBeachTalents]

This is seriously the most convoluted implementation of a new idea I've ever seen. And the worst part is, it's all for a "trophy" nobody is going to give a shit about This has to be far and away the worst and most unnecessary idea any American sports league has come up with, at least in the modern era.

[RRR3]

This is seriously the most convoluted implementation of a new idea I've ever seen. And the worst part is, it's all for a "trophy" nobody is going to give a shit about This has to be far and away the worst and most unnecessary idea any American sports league has come up with, at least in the modern era.

Classic Silver. F- as a commissioner.

[bison]

So basically they created a meaningless tournament for the sole purpose to sell the tournament’s naming rights to the highest corporate bidder. They’re not even trying to hide the fact that this is straight up cash grab.

[Wally450]

This is seriously the most convoluted implementation of a new idea I've ever seen. And the worst part is, it's all for a "trophy" nobody is going to give a shit about This has to be far and away the worst and most unnecessary idea any American sports league has come up with, at least in the modern era.

Every team should just sent their G League affiliate to participate. Ain’t no team going to seriously invest their talent into an in season tournament.

[Baller234]

So basically they created a meaningless tournament for the sole purpose to sell the tournament’s naming rights to the highest corporate bidder. They’re not even trying to hide the fact that this is straight up cash grab.

It's definitely a cash grab, but I think there was a genuine feeling that the regular season could use some sprucing up.

They just came up with the dumbest solution possible.

[SouBeachTalents]

It's definitely a cash grab, but I think there was a genuine feeling that the regular season could use some sprucing up.

They just came up with the dumbest solution possible.

The only way to legitimately spruce up the regular season would be to shorten it, play 58 games, and have every team play twice. But since they'd lose a fvck ton of money doing this, that will obv never happen

[Baller234]

The only way to legitimately spruce up the regular season would be to shorten it, play 58 games, and have every team play twice. But since they'd lose a fvck ton of money doing this, that will obv never happen

I love you're thinking. 58 games is perfect, each team plays each other twice.

If you want to add some flare in the middle of the season, right before the all star break I would have an 8 game stretch called "The Divisionals". Each team plays the other 4 teams in their division twice in a series of back to back games. Consider it a mini-playoffs so to speak.

I don't think the league emphasizes divisions enough. Those regional rivalries drive a lot of interest in the NFL. Right now the fans of the knicks and celtics don't really have a reason to hate each other, but they really should. In fact I would copy the NFL even further and have it so that the division winners earn the top playoff spots with home court. That would raise the stakes of The Divisionals even more. Those 8 games are going to be extremely important. It really would have an intense playoff type atmosphere.

So 58 games would be the reg season with each team playing each other twice, but in the middle of the season you have The Divisionals where each team plays their entire division. So that would bring the total to 66. With the winners of each division getting the top 3 seeds.

[Jasper]

I truly doubt all players are all in on winning a cup , compared to a title.

See Lebron James resume -cup

[iamgine]

It's a great idea that's tried and true in other leagues around the world. Not sure why so many are against it.

[BurningHammer]

It's a great idea that's tried and true in other leagues around the world. Not sure why so many are against it.

People will go ballistic if a superstar gets injured and is out for the season or more and blame everything on the tournament, just like the Olympics or FIBA WC.

[iamgine]

People will go ballistic if a superstar gets injured and is out for the season or more and blame everything on the tournament, just like the Olympics or FIBA WC.

Not sure that's a bad thing. That's pretty normal.

[FultzNationRISE]

It's a great idea that's tried and true in other leagues around the world. Not sure why so many are against it.

Club Cups present an opportunity to play against teams from other leagues, beyond the domestic league a team normally plays within.

This is a tournament of teams playing each other in the middle of a season where theyre already playing each other.

It’s stupid as hell

[Im Still Ballin]

Club Cups present an opportunity to play against teams from other leagues, beyond the domestic league a team normally plays within.

This is a tournament of teams playing each other in the middle of a season where theyre already playing each other.

It’s stupid as hell

Yeah, it's a funny inspiration for the league to take from. The European football system has that hierarchical thing going for it where teams are promoted and relegated. The NBA is the equivalent of what those top clubs tried to do with the European Super League. And we saw what the backlash to that was like.

Apples and oranges. Unless they want to change the American basketball system altogether and give the Stockton Kings a chance to make the NBA.

[iamgine]

Club Cups present an opportunity to play against teams from other leagues, beyond the domestic league a team normally plays within.

Not always. There are cups within domestic leagues.