Woj: NBA wants to restart conversations on a mid-season tournament

[jpengland]

If the NBA lands this right, it would be fantastic.

It's only viewed as 'pointless' because it doesn't actually exist.

I mean step back and try to explain to anyone from a non US sports background that they play 82 games just to decide what order teams will play each other in the games that do mean anything?

Single elimination (or small groups followed by single game) with appropriate incentive at both team and individual level to make it competitive will soon become highly contested. Especially for new players entering the league.

Would also provide MUCH more interest internationally. Could even use it as an opportunity to play overseas.

Oh and those bleating on about 'chasing TV ratings' really does not understand how people consume media and sports nowadays and the future ways that the NBA will make money.

Heck of a lot of old man shouting at clouds here...

[DutchManDanFan]

Stars will not play and risk injuries. Knowing this the following could work:

Only for reserves, one starter per team and all players under 23 (if teams have multiple starters <23).
Winner gets 15th pick and 15 Mil for the team.
Runner up gets 1st pick of 2nd round and 10 Mil for the team.
1st and 2nd round in weekend before ASG. QF and SF on wed/thu before ASG. Final during all star weekend.

With 30 teams the top 2 Euro teams can be invited as well.

[art_tatum]

I think people are missing the appeal.
Betting and money.
82 games blah blah. A knockout tourney? If they made it a big deal and copy march madness people will watch, why?
Betting brackets. This will also intrigue international viewers. Then it'll build a legacy over years. A banner. Tourney champ.

The question is what to intrigue the teams especially when the prestige isn't there for the tourney. Yet. Money sure. Maybe home court advantage no matter your seed by seasons end. Teams still want to play for higher seeds to face easier teams.
Tho iono what happens in the unlikely event a non playoff team wins it all

[LivingLegend]

You dont like the idea of fringe playoff teams battling it out to see who is going to get stomped into oblivion by the #1 seed superteam?

its terrible. team deserved to be in the playoffs at 8th seed after battling for that spot all year long. Now they lose the spot after losing one game...makes zero sense to me.

Yeah, watching LeBron vs Steph last year was terrible. I hate basketball too.

We literally have the #10 seed trying to earn the right to play in a series against the #1 seed. We need to stop wasting everybodies time.

I have a better fix. Make the playoffs only 6 teams instead of 8 from each conference.This will make getting to the playoffs a bigger achievement and make teams try a lot harder in the beginning/middle of the season if they know only 6 teams get in.

To prevent tanking have a 'losers bracket' tournament. Single elimination. Just like March Madness for all non playoff teams to determine draft order.

The NBA then gets to market ALL of its teams in 2 different tourneys at the end of each year.

BOOM. Who do I talk to, how do I become the president of the NBA.

[Rapcity_11]

its terrible. team deserved to be in the playoffs at 8th seed after battling for that spot all year long. Now they lose the spot after losing one game...makes zero sense to me.

Yeah, watching LeBron vs Steph last year was terrible. I hate basketball too.

If the goal is to hope for a team that should have been good barring injuries to underperform and face each other in the play in game--your going it wrong.

We literally have the #10 seed trying to earn the right to play in a series against the #1 seed.

The goal is that I like basketball. Look at 7-10 in the East right now. That's going to be a great set of games.

[Bluewaterheaven]

2 million per player for the winner, 5th pick in the draft. This incentivizes all but the biggest contracted stars, and incentivizes management.

For **** and giggles, lets get the euro teams involved too, if they will their players get and extra bonus instead of the pick.

[BeatDaCavs420]

Can someone show me the post where they're explaining how this will work? I am still confused at the point of this play in lol

[LivingLegend]

Yeah, watching LeBron vs Steph last year was terrible. I hate basketball too.

If the goal is to hope for a team that should have been good barring injuries to underperform and face each other in the play in game--your going it wrong.

We literally have the #10 seed trying to earn the right to play in a series against the #1 seed.

The goal is that I like basketball. Look at 7-10 in the East right now. That's going to be a great set of games.

This year, sure. But this years EC is a anomaly, we havent seen a conference this jam packed in a long time. The league cant make decisions based off year by year basis--8/10 years the #10 seed is horrible compared to the #1.

For instance in 2018, you would have a potential 1st round matchup of the 36 win Hornets, against the 60 win Raptors. In 2019 it would have been the 39 win Heat against the 60 win Bucks. In 2017 you would have the 34 win Pelicans playing the 67 win Warriors.

A 30-something win team should have no right playing a 58-65 win team in the playoffs. Its boring, its a sweep, its a waste of everybodies time. Its just not good basketball.

[Rapcity_11]

If the goal is to hope for a team that should have been good barring injuries to underperform and face each other in the play in game--your going it wrong.

We literally have the #10 seed trying to earn the right to play in a series against the #1 seed.

The goal is that I like basketball. Look at 7-10 in the East right now. That's going to be a great set of games.

This year, sure. But this years EC is a anomaly, we havent seen a conference this jam packed in a long time. The league cant make decisions based off year by year basis--8/10 years the #10 seed is horrible compared to the #1.

For instance in 2018, you would have a potential 1st round matchup of the 36 win Hornets, against the 60 win Raptors. In 2019 it would have been the 39 win Heat against the 60 win Bucks. In 2017 you would have the 34 win Pelicans playing the 67 win Warriors.

A 30-something win team should have no right playing a 58-65 win team in the playoffs. Its boring, its a sweep, its a waste of everybodies time.

Ok, so your argument is that the first round sucks. That's entirely different.

[LivingLegend]

The goal is that I like basketball. Look at 7-10 in the East right now. That's going to be a great set of games.

This year, sure. But this years EC is a anomaly, we havent seen a conference this jam packed in a long time. The league cant make decisions based off year by year basis--8/10 years the #10 seed is horrible compared to the #1.

For instance in 2018, you would have a potential 1st round matchup of the 36 win Hornets, against the 60 win Raptors. In 2019 it would have been the 39 win Heat against the 60 win Bucks. In 2017 you would have the 34 win Pelicans playing the 67 win Warriors.

A 30-something win team should have no right playing a 58-65 win team in the playoffs. Its boring, its a sweep, its a waste of everybodies time.

Ok, so your argument is that the first round sucks. That's entirely different.

Thats what Ive been saying the whole time! Its 4 fringe playoff teams fighting for the right to get humiliated by the #1 seed in the first round. As if 1v8 matchups wernt bad enough, we have opened it up to a potential 1v10 matchup. Nobody wants to watch that

[Rapcity_11]

This year, sure. But this years EC is a anomaly, we havent seen a conference this jam packed in a long time. The league cant make decisions based off year by year basis--8/10 years the #10 seed is horrible compared to the #1.

For instance in 2018, you would have a potential 1st round matchup of the 36 win Hornets, against the 60 win Raptors. In 2019 it would have been the 39 win Heat against the 60 win Bucks. In 2017 you would have the 34 win Pelicans playing the 67 win Warriors.

A 30-something win team should have no right playing a 58-65 win team in the playoffs. Its boring, its a sweep, its a waste of everybodies time.

Ok, so your argument is that the first round sucks. That's entirely different.

Thats what Ive been saying the whole time! Its 4 fringe playoff teams fighting for the right to get humiliated by the #1 seed in the first round. As if 1v8 matchups wernt bad enough, we have opened it up to a potential 1v10 matchup. Nobody wants to watch that

That's fine. The 7-10 matchups are pure value-add, as long as you actually like basketball.

[maxpower8888]

I'm against it. MJ, Shaq and Kobe never got to play in this tournament, and in the future lack of these tournament MVP's might hurt them on paper when comparing them to current or future greats. Don't create award or trophy's for things MJ didnt have a chance to compete for.

I agree.

We should never innovate anything to please those unable to add any level of nuance to the pointless exercise of comparing players from different eras.

What's the point of innovating just for innovation's sake though? This idea is the equivalent of Homer designing his own car.

[tribulations]

One meaningless tournament in Disneyworld was enough.

[HabsAndDubs]

It would be cool to do something like, halfway through the season, the bottom 16 teams have a one game knockout tournament to decide draft order, while the top 14 teams go into a larger tournament with the best euro league teams for a world title. Those teams could then be seeded for the draft based on their position, and it could maybe define home court advantage (top 4 NBA teams per conference get automatic home court advantage in the playoffs).

Having a tournament that decides draft order midway through the season prevents pure tanking, and for a lot of these bad teams with good young players who take a mid season leap, you can actually throw your guys into a potential playoff run once you’ve secured draft position (ex. A team like OKC who blatantly tanks could actually make a push and finally use SGA/Dort/Giddey to their full potential and see if they can sneak into the playoffs.

Of course, there’s no real benefit to the NBA playing European teams since on any given night, teams like Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern, CSKA, Maccabi could beat an NBA team, and you really don’t want that. But if the focus is on growing the game internationally, I’d absolutely love to see a tournament between NBA + Euroleague.

[HabsAndDubs]

You dont like the idea of fringe playoff teams battling it out to see who is going to get stomped into oblivion by the #1 seed superteam?

its terrible. team deserved to be in the playoffs at 8th seed after battling for that spot all year long. Now they lose the spot after losing one game...makes zero sense to me.

Yeah, watching LeBron vs Steph last year was terrible. I hate basketball too.

The only thing worse than watching Lebron vs Steph was how terrible it was to see Memphis have their coming out party and send the warriors back home. Me, personally, instead of watching famously boring player Ja Morant beat the Warriors at 19, I would’ve much rather the warriors, who finished 8th, get stomped by Utah in the first round.

[jcsunsfan]

This is a really dumb idea. Players do not really care about draft order. There are two big problems. Player motivation and wear and tear on players bodies. There are way too many injuries already.

If they went to 10 minute quarters all year, maybe some extras play mid year would be a possibility.

10 minute quarters would mess up all the stats but they could charge the same for tickets and have more Tv time for ads while not taxing players bodies as much.

[meekrab]

Everyone hates this idea and yet it won't go away.

[pipfan]

I love the Playin-it has done exactly what the League wanted-there are now 3 lines where teams fight (at the 6th/7th seed to avoid the playin, at the 8th/9th and at the 10th/11th-12th). Less tanking and more teams trying to really win is a huge boom for the NBA

This idea of a Midseason Tourney-I don't see it working. But, maybe I just lack vision

[GSWFan1994]

There's a very easy way to tell if this idea is good.

Think in this perspective: "if David Stern was alive and running the NBA, would he approve this?"

There you go.

[MaxZaslofskyJr]

I think just another blah tourney mid-season would dilute the meaning of the Playoffs.
But... Here's a possible idea. Have a Mid-season competition of some sort only play by different rules: No 3 pointer, No zone defenses, 4 pointers (?!), no 24 second clock, 50s rules, 70s rules, 90s rules...be creative. The team that won that would have, at least, done something different.