Regular season tournaments are great. Elimination basketball is a really cool one. Whether he will be great for the NBA remains a question.
The league’s announcement of an in-season championship in November raised many questions even before it was officially announced on July 8. And when it was announced, it raised even more questions. Many doubts aside, the advertisement and the tournament itself are undoubtedly new cogs in the NBA’s perpetual 12-month calendar.
Arguably the slowest part of this calendar is fall, as it stacks up against the NFL and MLB playoffs, and unless you’re a total geek (ahem), most fans don’t really start to care until Christmas Day. the games .
so, what are you doing? How do you keep your league in the spotlight when the opening night glow is fading? Enter the NBA Cup.
For years now, the regular season has been criticized for not caring, players not caring enough and having nights off. And with two conference finalists including the two finalists coming out of play, it’s truer than ever. Not that what the Heat and Lakers did can be imitated, but others will try. On reflection, why should the 82 games matter when all a good team needs to do is make the playoffs (in theory)? Naturally, this sparked many thoughts in attempts to find a cure. Fewer games, minimum games for prize eligibility, and now the tournament is in season which although explained, no one knows how it will really work.
No matter how successful it was, the ad and the tournament itself really got something done. It kept the hype machine churning. With this on the calendar, the Vegas Summer League, the league’s top competition, is officially in full swing. All three top picks have been played at least once, and trade rumors persist. It’s perfect timing. The association is still buzz but not in the dead of summer, just enough to keep things fluttering. Four months later, when the editorial night hype has died down and the rumor mill has quieted down again, the Championship will re-enter our feed. It keeps things rippling.
So far, the tournament itself is still baffling and there are many unanswered questions regarding player incentives, scheduling, stats, and other areas yet to be thought through. But this certainly happens.
A critical analysis of all this is to remember Adam Silver’s role here. It is the management of the league, but above all, it works for the owners. It’s his job to keep the league economy growing for these big bosses. Yes, along with that come other responsibilities for players, coaches, and countless other staff members, but as things grow, it’s his job to keep the machine moving and efficient. So successful or not, he has at least done so for the time being. If it all exploded in his face and everyone else’s faces, he’d have to re-steer, but the ship has been profitable so far with the hype machine spinning.
- Posted on 07/10/2023 at 16:00 PM
- Last updated on 07/10/2023 at 16:00 PM