There are 3 groups of 5 in each conference. Within each group you play the other teams once, 2 at home 2 on the road. Group winners and one runner-up team per conference advance to the quarterfinals.I'm slightly confused about this.. so the group games are regular scheduled games that count for both.. but how does it work after the first round? I know I could google it, but just thinking about it it seems like a scheduling nightmare.
All I find myself thinking is I don’t know how the Bucks stop the C’s. The Knicks can’t play offense and they are having a tough time closing this out.Knicks within 3? I think Giannis and company get the calls to close here, but hmmmm.
The money is substantial enough to motivate everyone on the roster. If you're on a minimum, a rookie scale contract or one of the exceptions, the money varies between a huge deal and a nice bonus. If you're on a max while the money is not personally significant, you know it is 80% of the guys who you go to work with every day. And if you're a max guy with a bigger picture view - if the tournament is a success the next TV deal grows even more - which means the pie grows even more - which means your next max is even bigger.The tourney structure is really confusing and it isn’t enough to motivate the big money guys…
What am I missing here? Maybe lower bench guys care but do the fans? Fans caring is what makes a game an event…
And Chet continues to impress: 22-8-5 with a steal and six minutes to go.The Thunder/Warriors game is a shootout. I’m not sure the Thunder have missed in the last 10 possessions.
They really are. So rare for an ex player to have JJ's gift of the gab. He makes Scal look like a doofus.RJ and Reddick are great together
OKC shooting 54% from deepThe Thunder/Warriors game is a shootout. I’m not sure the Thunder have missed in the last 10 possessions.
The blocks on 3 consecutive possessions certainly was a flashing reminder of his near-DPOY level last year.Lopez looked cooked first few games, but he's back in form tonight.
Yeah, though it does look like he's fighting it physically and it's only game 5.The blocks on 3 consecutive possessions certainly was a flashing reminder of his near-DPOY level last year.
They let him go back to drop coverage and it made a big difference. I hate playing against Lopez when he just camps in the paint. Luckily he won't be able to do that against the Celtics. I mean he can, but the Cs will rain threes down on his head. Lopez and Middleton definitely look like the odometer has rolled over to six digits.Lopez looked cooked first few games, but he's back in form tonight.
I didn’t realize they play in Ball Arena. That’s gotta be the best court sponsor in the league right? Apparently Ball Corporation makes glass jarsOh man, this court in Denver.
They should call it the "No Sponsor Has Yet Met Our Asking Price on Naming Rights" Cup.Also to answer a question posed upthread, I heard it theorized on a podcast today (forget which one) that the reason it’s called the In Season Tournament and not something cooler is that if it completely flops and they scrap the idea after a year or two, they don’t want to have it be named after some legend, and that makes sense to me
I understand the players might give a little more juice given you get a bonus to win. But it doesn’t move the needle on the other dynamics fans care about. Seeding or draft capital. If the goal is to create a few games where the league says “our players care this game watch!” That sounds like a larger problem with the fact the season is largely meaningless. It’s a band aid to the gaping wound that is the fact the regular season has no stakes. Either make this thing worth something meaningful or not. I don’t care if the 8th guy off the bench on the Knicks is jacked up tonight.The money is substantial enough to motivate everyone on the roster. If you're on a minimum, a rookie scale contract or one of the exceptions, the money varies between a huge deal and a nice bonus. If you're on a max while the money is not personally significant, you know it is 80% of the guys who you go to work with every day. And if you're a max guy with a bigger picture view - if the tournament is a success the next TV deal grows even more - which means the pie grows even more - which means your next max is even bigger.
Are you watching? There's some great basketball going on.I understand the players might give a little more juice given you get a bonus to win. But it doesn’t move the needle on the other dynamics fans care about. Seeding or draft capital. If the goal is to create a few games where the league says “our players care this game watch!” That sounds like a larger problem with the fact the season is largely meaningless. It’s a band aid to the gaping wound that is the fact the regular season has no stakes. Either make this thing worth something meaningful or not. I don’t care if the 8th guy off the bench on the Knicks is jacked up tonight.
I’m a pretty simple guy when it comes to sports fandom. If the league created a new trophy and my favorite team’s players care about it, then I absolutely care about it. I have to think a lot of sports fans think this way.I understand the players might give a little more juice given you get a bonus to win. But it doesn’t move the needle on the other dynamics fans care about. Seeding or draft capital. If the goal is to create a few games where the league says “our players care this game watch!” That sounds like a larger problem with the fact the season is largely meaningless. It’s a band aid to the gaping wound that is the fact the regular season has no stakes. Either make this thing worth something meaningful or not. I don’t care if the 8th guy off the bench on the Knicks is jacked up tonight.
Eating in Dallas.Grant Williams is shooting 55% from 3, huh?
Corner offices get more sunlight there.Grant Williams is shooting 55% from 3, huh?
Deep bench? You'll probably see as much bench as you would for a Game 7.Since the finals game doesn't count in the standings, just how much will the deep bench play in that? The NBA will obviously push back, but uh... I wouldn't want Al Horford playing that for example.
it is meaningful if guys try. what makes anything meaningful? I don't ask that question to be glib - the finals and playoffs are just basketball games. we assign it meaning on our own.I understand the players might give a little more juice given you get a bonus to win. But it doesn’t move the needle on the other dynamics fans care about. Seeding or draft capital. If the goal is to create a few games where the league says “our players care this game watch!” That sounds like a larger problem with the fact the season is largely meaningless. It’s a band aid to the gaping wound that is the fact the regular season has no stakes. Either make this thing worth something meaningful or not. I don’t care if the 8th guy off the bench on the Knicks is jacked up tonight.