In-season intrigue: Answering questions on the new, Las Vegas-bound NBA tournament
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, top, dunks as Miami Heat forward Kevin Love defends during the first half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball Eastern Conference Final series Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Boston.
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023 | 7:53 a.m.
The 2023-2024 NBA regular season begins October 24 and it’s set to be a groundbreaking campaign—not only for the league, but also for Las Vegas.
This year includes the advent of the long-awaited NBA In-Season Tournament, which will square off with all 30 franchises and wrap up December 7 and 9 with the semifinals and championship, respectively, at T-Mobile Arena. The tournament has long been a dream of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, and his decision to stage its biggest games in Las Vegas gives the city yet another marquee sporting event and illustrates the league’s commitment to the market.
But many American sports fans are confused by, if not also downright skeptical of, the idea. It’s created a lot of questions. Let’s answer four of the biggest questions from a local perspective as a way to welcome back the NBA.
How does it work? The format is fashioned like European or international soccer tournaments with a “group stage” featuring six sets of five teams each, with all of them playing a round-robin format to crown a winner. The victors and two wild-cards—the non-winning team from both the Western and Eastern Conference with the best record—then advance to the eight-team “knockout stage.”
The first round of the knockout stage will be held at teams’ home venues, before the final four takes place in Vegas, a neutral site.
The NBA season will proceed like normal for the first 10 days of the season before November 3, when the first “tournament night” commences with teams taking on each other for the first time as part of the group stage. Designated tournament nights continue for the next month leading up to the knockout stage.
All tournament games except for the championship will count in the regular-season standings and count as part of each teams’ 82-game schedule.
What’s the point? For franchises overall, it’s to claim the NBA Cup, the new trophy that will be awarded to the ultimate winning team. For players, to also earn a $500,000 bonus for everyone on the roster of the winning team.
For the league overall, the point is to generate new revenue and add more interest to a grueling six-month regular season. The NBA somewhat struggles to stand out early in the season, competing with the NFL and college football, and the in-season tournament could be a novelty that draws more viewers.
It also gives the league a new media property that could be valuable if it catches on with fans over the first few years. The WNBA successfully implemented its equivalent, the annual Commissioner’s Cup, three years ago.
And, for some of the world’s biggest soccer teams, earning an in-season trophy like the FA Cup in England is seen as just big of an accomplishment as winning its overall league. The NBA Cup is shooting to get to that level eventually.
Why is it in Las Vegas? Silver hasn’t hidden his love for Las Vegas and interest in bringing a new franchise here, but the NBA is holding off on expansion until after its current media rights deal expires following the 2024-2025 season.
The in-season tournament should suffice in giving the NBA an in-season footprint in Southern Nevada in the meantime. The league feels comfortable and established here because of the annual NBA Summer League held at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, an event Silver already refers to as the league’s “31st franchise.”
The NBA wanted a grand stage for the conclusion of the in-season tournament, so landing on Las Vegas is no surprise and further proof that there’s truth in the destination’s “greatest arena on Earth” marketing campaign.
Who’s going to win? The same teams that are favored to win the NBA championship in June are at the top of the odds board to take home the NBA Cup. At Boyd Sports, the top five teams to win the in-season tournament are the Milwaukee Bucks at +950 (i.e. risking $100 to win $950), Boston Celtics at +950, Phoenix Suns at 11-to-1, Denver Nuggets at 13-to-1 and Los Angeles Lakers at 13-to-1.
Among that group, the Celtics stand out as the best bet. They have by far the easiest group—they’re -180 (i.e. risking $180 to win $100) to win Group C—to navigate into the knockout stage.
Boston has also recently valued the regular season more than other championship contenders, leaving less of a chance that they rest players or don’t go all-out early in the new competition.
The in-season tournament should have a lot more variance than the overall championship, however, with so few games ultimately deciding the winner. The worst teams in the league probably don’t have a much of a shot, but some of the mid-range contenders could be dangerous.
The Cleveland Cavaliers (14-to-1 to win the in-season tournament) and Dallas Mavericks (24-to-1) could also be worth a bet.
For the official prediction of what happens in the Vegas semifinals, let’s say Boston handles Cleveland and Dallas upsets Phoenix. The Celtics then ultimately become the first team to hoist the NBA Cup on December 9 by beating the Mavericks behind an in-season tournament MVP performance by Jayson Tatum.
This story originally appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.
