3 changes NBA should implement to make successful In-Season Tournament even better

Most would agree that the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament was a smashing success. The tournament added excitement to what is typically viewed as the NBA’s dead period. This, in turn, increased the league’s ratings drastically.

However, despite the tournament’s success, there is still room for improvement via minor tweaks to aspects such as scheduling, formatting and venues.

On that note, here are three potential changes that could make the In-Season Tournament even better.

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3 ways to improve the NBA In-Season Tournament

#3 Longer group stage

The In-Season Tournament commenced with its group stage featuring six groups of five teams each playing other members of their group once. This resulted in each team playing four games with ties in the standings decided by point differential and total points scored.

The format led to some of the league’s top teams not advancing to the tournament’s single-elimination knockout rounds. This includes the reigning champion Denver Nuggets (2-2 group-stage record) and the league-leading Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1 group-stage record).

It ultimately worked out for the NBA, as one of its premier franchises, the LA Lakers, made a run to the tournament’s championship. However, ideally, the league would probably like to see more of its top teams advance to the knockout rounds. An extended group stage with larger groups would ensure that the best teams have a better chance to do so.

Likewise, a prolonged group stage would eliminate the need for teams to run up scores in blowout games to achieve higher point differentials.

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#2 Group-stage games condensed together

Another tweak that the NBA could make to the In-Season Tournament’s group stage is to have games played consecutively.

This season, group-stage games were dispersed throughout Tuesday and Friday nights in November called “Tournament Nights,” with regular games played in between. However, a couple of weeks-long stretch devoted exclusively to the tournament may add even more excitement.

A condensed tournament schedule would also make it less necessary for the league to use bright, flamboyant courts to differentiate tournament games. Many fans complained that the courts hurt their eyes and made it difficult to watch the games.

However, if fans are already aware that the tournament is taking place, the NBA could instead feature more subtle custom courts.

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#1 Increased stakes

The NBA offered sizeable cash incentives to players who advanced in the In-Season Tournament, including $500,000 for each player on the championship-winning team. Meanwhile, players on the runner-up received $200,000 each, while players on the semifinal and quarterfinal teams received $100,000 and $50,000 each, respectively.

These financial incentives appeared to be enough to motivate several teams and players to take the tournament seriously. However, the league could still increase the stakes even further through additional incentives.

This could include offering the championship-winning team an advantage in the regular season, such as an additional win in the standings. The league could also guarantee the winning team finishes no lower than a certain playoff seed regardless of record.

The tournament winner would still be motivated to compete in the regular season to achieve homecourt advantage and a better playoff matchup. However, it would have a safety net to fall back on from winning the tournament.

Overall, a longer tournament with games condensed together and more at stake would ensure that the best teams advance and add an extra sense of urgency. It remains to be seen if the league will make such changes. However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver certainly has a lot to consider regarding next season’s tournament.

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