In-Season Tournament on the Horizon...It's now here!

[AHF]

46 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I will reserve judgement until I see what it looks like and how players compete or not.  These games count as part of the 82 games so in some sense they are important.

This is the only thing giving me hope that it is actually interesting.  These games are going to be played anyway so now there is just an additional layer of consequence to them.

[sturt]

40 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

These games count as part of the 82 games so in some sense they are important.

I come back to that point. Even if the money doesn't motivate, there's still no less  reason to want to win than any other game.

But then again... what's the point if it doesn't drive fan interest? And why will fans be more interested in this?

Won't be because of money.

Won't be because the games somehow matter more than normal.

Will it be because, as Silver indicates, there will be a different appearance  to it... different unis, different playing floors...???

Dunno. I'm sure they'll try to make it as visual as possible, but the game is still the game is still the game.

This is what happens, though, when Adam plows ahead without consulting ol' sturt. Shoulda asked me.

[sturt]

Let's think about this.

Theoretical but plausible First Round:

ATL @ POR

ATL @ NYK

DET @ ATL

DEN @ ATL

 

What's already wrong with this picture?

How likely is it that you're going to have one team go 4-0, and be the decisive winner? Indeed, how likely is it that all five teams could go 2-2?

The fact that you're going to almost certainly have the tiebreaker, whatever it is, dictate some number of first round champs leaves a lot to be desired... arguably even to the point of making the "tournament" aspect of the so-called tournament fallacious.

 

 

Oh, and my cynical self is firmly persuaded that the tiebreakers, after all this time, most certainly have been determined... but there is a fear that if they were revealed at this early stage, there would be such massive recoil as to cause an outcry for aborting the idea. This way, they'll be able to say down the road, "Well, it's too late to not do it."

[sturt]

Better.

 

[sturt]

Gave some significant thought to the design of this, but as sometimes happens, arguably the most compelling part is an idea that just came to me in the last minute as I finished up...

 

So, this is what makes making the tournament and then winning the tournament so desirable. No penalty for losing. But to the degree that you win, and win, and win, and then win again...  it boosts your final W/L% a few points higher than it otherwise would have been, and ostensibly may grant your team, for instance, the edge in gaining the #3 seed instead of the #4 or #5.

Something worth playing for.

 

[AHF]

On 4/19/2023 at 10:33 PM, sturt said:

Gave some significant thought to the design of this, but as sometimes happens, arguably the most compelling part is an idea that just came to me in the last minute as I finished up...

 

So, this is what makes making the tournament and then winning the tournament so desirable. No penalty for losing. But to the degree that you win, and win, and win, and then win again...  it boosts your final W/L% a few points higher than it otherwise would have been, and ostensibly may grant your team, for instance, the edge in gaining the #3 seed instead of the #4 or #5.

Something worth playing for.

 

That would be really interesting.  I guess I'd have to see how many total games there are because under a losses don't count model those are games played on top of a normal 82 game season (or you are reducing the regular season).  Also, wouldn't want it to go too far.  If a team had a key injury in the early rounds, it would be really rough for them if they ended up playing like 7 fewer games than a team that did well in the tournament and presumably were then like 5 games behind in the win column or something as a result.  But that absolutely does give a huge incentive to win.  Very interesting idea.

[JayBirdHawk]

It's happening!

 

 

[sillent]

On 9/9/2022 at 9:17 PM, sturt said:

First... the idea that you're going to give "prizes" to millionaires seems a bit self-deceived, don't it... "to be determined prizes" indeed.

But I vote yes. Why: Because it's a half-step... just a half-step, but it's progress... toward sufficient out-of-the-box thinking to allow NBA decision-makers to re-shape the framework of the season to maintain all teams' fans' interest from October to June.

(... reaches back into the archives... )

 

Not going to act like I even attempted to check out all of this yet but I completely agree with the bold statement.

I have noticed for awhile that the players definitely play games amongst themselves within the game to keep it interesting and to keep an 82 game season amongst them yr after yr.

When our star player who is only 24 and was even younger when he said he was bored with the regular season there has to be more things in place to spice it up.

These games that the players play amongst themselves in the game from (anything you can do I can do better, or who can make the most 3's, longest shots, keep it close until 2-5mins in the 4th)or whatever can sometimes be a detriment to the fans.

Games that should've been won sometimes result in a lost and sometimes it negates the true competitive nature of seeing who the best is every night and keeping the bar high instead of lowering the bar to keep it fun by towing with lesser opponents.

The league has done a great job with balancing out the competition. Last yr there were about 24 teams that atleast on paper looked like they could compete and atleast make the playoffs.

Still though the more the players are engaged and competing the better the games will be for the fans and the overall health of the league. 

They may not get these tourneys right initially but eventually it could evolve into something that keeps everyone engaged yr round.

[sillent]

On 9/9/2022 at 9:17 PM, sturt said:

First... the idea that you're going to give "prizes" to millionaires seems a bit self-deceived, don't it... "to be determined prizes" indeed.

But I vote yes. Why: Because it's a half-step... just a half-step, but it's progress... toward sufficient out-of-the-box thinking to allow NBA decision-makers to re-shape the framework of the season to maintain all teams' fans' interest from October to June.

(... reaches back into the archives... )

 

After actually reading/checking out the data portion of your post it sounds pretty good.

My only next question would be is or would the schedule now be created on the fly based on results? If so how will they go about selling tickets and packages?

What if people only wanted to see a particular city or player?

I'm sure those details will emerge but overall I think the concept will be pretty interesting. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Trae Young on the In-Season tournament: For me I like the idea of the In-Season tournament… It’s going to be a lot of eyes watching it, it’s going to be a big-time thing, obviously my main goal is when the bigger championship at the end of the year but still something you want to fight for, you want to win I mean we’re all competitors so it’s cool because I mean you see the NBA’s just trying to add a new excitement and different things so I don’t mind it to be honest with you I kind of like it kind of gets you prepared for later in the year too.

 

– via YouTube

[bird_dirt]

13 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Trae Young on the In-Season tournament: For me I like the idea of the In-Season tournament… It’s going to be a lot of eyes watching it, it’s going to be a big-time thing, obviously my main goal is when the bigger championship at the end of the year but still something you want to fight for, you want to win I mean we’re all competitors so it’s cool because I mean you see the NBA’s just trying to add a new excitement and different things so I don’t mind it to be honest with you I kind of like it kind of gets you prepared for later in the year too.

 

– via YouTube

Will the trade deadline come before or after the in season tournament?

I see some random dudes popping off in the tournament and drawing some crazy trade offers. Like guys shooting up draft boards after a good March Madness showing. 

[JayBirdHawk]

34 minutes ago, bird_dirt said:

Will the trade deadline come before or after the in season tournament?

I see some random dudes popping off in the tournament and drawing some crazy trade offers. Like guys shooting up draft boards after a good March Madness showing. 

After...Tournament is in Dec....TDL in Feb 

[bird_dirt]

2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

After...Tournament is in Dec....TDL in Feb 

Thanks Jay. Your like my own personal NBA/Hawks search engine.

[JayBirdHawk]

9 minutes ago, bird_dirt said:

Thanks Jay. Your like my own personal NBA/Hawks search engine.

 I seem to have good recall and I'm a speed reader 

[sillent]

On 7/8/2023 at 8:14 PM, JayBirdHawk said:

 

Speaking of reasons this is the main reason I'm so hyped about the season. Trae Young now has a reason to get excited about the regular season! Finally a reason to play to win all season long. Everyone gets motivated differently but I know this definitely motivates Trae!!

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

We begin our breakdown of the In-Season Tournament groups with East Group A.

This group is headlined by three playoff teams from 2023: the No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers (eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals), the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers (eliminated in the first round) and the No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks (eliminated in the first round). Rounding out Group A are the Indiana Pacers (who finished 35-47 in 2022-23) and Detroit Pistons (who went 17-65).

When it comes to head-to-head competition between the teams in East Group A, Philadelphia held a commanding edge against the rest of the group last season. The Sixers won the season series with all four opponents and posted a combined record of 12-2 (.857). Cleveland and Atlanta were each 9-5 against the field while Indiana and Detroit went a combined 6-24 against the field.

The disparity in win percentage (.724) between the top and bottom teams in this group is larger than any other group in the In-Season Tournament.

Of the 36 total games played between the five teams in this group last season, seven were decided by five points or less. Five of those games featured the Hawks, four involved the Sixers and three included the Pacers. The Cavs and Pistons each only had one such game.

Sixers vs. Hawks
Two of those seven games decided by five points or less among this group featured the Sixers and the Hawks, both of which were won by Philadelphia. In the first game on Nov. 28, the Sixers got 30 points from center Joel Embiid and a 24-point, 10-rebound game from Tobias Harris to defeat the Hawks despite playing without both Harden and Tyrese Maxey. The second close game happened late in the season and saw the Sixers rest their top six players and still outlast the Hawks in overtime, despite a 27-point and career-high 20-assist game from Trae Young.

In four games against the Sixers last year, Young posted 24.5 ppg and 12 apg as Atlanta went 1-3 in those games. Embiid played in only three games, but averaged 32.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 5.0 rpg against Atlanta.


Hawks vs. Cavs
After trading double-digit wins early in the season, the rubber match on March 28 gave us the best meeting of the season between Atlanta and Cleveland. The Cavs got 44 points from Mitchell, 27 from Darius Garland and a 20-point, 15-rebound game from Evan Mobley. But it was not enough to counter the balanced effort from the Hawks, who had seven players score in double figures, led by Murray’s 29 points, to earn the 120-118 win.

The Hawks won the season series 2-1 despite the Cavs getting a combined 59.4 ppg from the backcourt of Mitchell (30.7) and Garland (28.7). Atlanta was led by Young (25 ppg, 9.7 apg), Murray (21.7 ppg) and Onyeka Okongwu (17.3 ppg, 10 rpg, 81% FG) against the Cavs last season.


Pistons vs. Hawks
The Hawks were one of only two teams that Cunningham played against more than once last season (the other being Milwaukee), thanks to a two-game set in late October. In two games against Atlanta, Cunningham averaged 30.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 7.0 apg in 35 mpg, but the Pistons lost both games.

Young averaged 31.8 ppg and 10.8 apg (compared to just 1.5 turnovers) in four games against the Pistons last season as the Hawks swept the series.