This is the second NBA season that has employed the play-in tournament. A night after LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were shockingly eliminated from a potential berth in the play-in tournament, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed the project and the likelihood that it sticks around.
Silver said the play-in tournament could potentially be tweaked, but expects it to be a fixture for the league moving forward. He’s very pleased with how it has gone through the first two seasons.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 6, 2022
Washington Post writer Tim Bontemps noted Silver saying that it’s possible the play-in tournament could be tweaked. But Silver expects it to remain a fixture in the league moving forward. The NBA commissioner is apparently pleased with how it has gone thus far.
Some fans had complained that allowing 10 teams in both conferences a crack at the playoffs, waters down the playoffs themselves. But most fans seem to agree that it has only made things more interesting. LeBron and the Lakers would have long since been eliminated.
If there was not a play-in tournament, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks would currently be out of the playoffs. Who doesn’t want to watch Trae Young come postseason time.
The play-in tournament also creates a sense of urgency for teams in the middle of the playoff pack as the regular season winds down. You can’t just rest stars as you know you are locked somewhere in the top eight of the conference. You need to keep playing, keep winning. Otherwise, you might end up having to play a winner-take-all game that could end your season.
Silver did not expand on the possible tweaks that the league could potentially make. But it is good news for basketball fans that it does not appear to be going anywhere.
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