Introducing the NBA Cup: A New Tournament to Boost the NBA Season

With 82 team matches, the NBA regular season is long and is the target of criticism year after year. To protect players and increase attractiveness, some are calling for a reduction in matches. Impossible for the league and the franchises in fear of seeing revenues decrease. But aware of the problem, Adam Silver wanted to boost his season. So here is the NBA Cup with a very particular functioning. This will start during the night from Friday to Saturday.

Who is playing in the NBA Cup?

The 30 NBA franchises the league has divided into six groups, three per conference. And with top seeds, namely Denver, Memphis and Sacramento for the West, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Boston for the East, the franchises with the three best records last season.

Which groups?

Groupe A : Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, LA Lakers, Utah JazzGroupe B : Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Houston RocketsGroupe C : Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs Groupe A : Philadelphie 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit PistonsGroupe B : Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte HornetsGroupe C :Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors

NBA Cup schedule

Starting this Friday, November 3, the tournament will end on December 9 with the final.

Each team will face the other four members of their group, with two matches at home and two away. The first in each group, as well as the best second in either conference, will advance to the quarter-finals. These (December 4-5) will be, like the semi-finals (December 7) and the final (December 9), played in a dry match, a new element for the NBA, accustomed to games in 7 matches in the Playoffs.

To follow this NBA Cup, you will have to pay attention on Tuesday and Friday of each week since it is on these two days, and these only, that the matches of this NBA Cup will be played. To allow followers to know at a glance what type of match they are attending, the NBA has provided special floors for these matches.

What impact on the regular season?

None… or almost. To avoid extending the regular season, the NBA invented double-stakes matches. On Tuesday and Friday, the teams will play matches which will count for both the NBA Cup and the classic season. This applies to all matches, including the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Only the final will be separate, the teams concerned will therefore play 83 matches in 2023/2024.

What’s the point of winning the NBA Cup?

Sportingly, nothing. The team that wins the first title of the “In-season Tournament” will not be awarded any advantage for the rest of the season. She will barely be able to count this new trophy in her prize list which, let’s face it, will not be worth much compared to an NBA title, obviously.

But to motivate the players, the league promised a check for $500,000 to each player on the winning team, and another for $200,000 for the finalists. Finally, note that an MVP (Most Valuable Player or best player) of the tournament will be elected, as well as the typical team. In the realm of personal accomplishment, this will eventually count.

2023-11-03 16:34:00
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