For all of the glitz and glamor with which Adam Silver makes an attempt to embellish the NBA Cup, it would not take quite a lot of seconds of thought to crack this formidable concept.
The NBA commissioner’s unique concept was born final yr. However he did it figuring out he must be adjusted alongside the way in which. A kind of changes from Yr 1 to Yr 2 was altering the title of the ugly, drawn-out “season event” to the sexier, shorter moniker “NBA Cup.”
With the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder reserving their flight to Las Vegas following their NBA Cup quarterfinal victory over the Dallas Mavericks, an essential query has arisen over the three-day break since: how critically ought to OKC take its semifinal sport towards the Houston Rockets?
The monetary incentive has definitely caught the eye of some inside the Thunder locker room. Jaylin Williams has turn out to be a motivational speaker as he recovers from a nagging hamstring pressure. The $500,000 grand prize could also be only a peanut on the high of the record, however the backside of the depth chart is stuffed with second-rounders and two-way gamers who would admit the additional half-million can be well worth the cash that will change their lives.
However past the cash and the nationwide stage, one might argue that the Thunder may gain advantage from a semifinal loss. The loss would mirror their report and slender the hole within the standings, however the additional relaxation might make up for that.
On this state of affairs, the Thunder is not going to play once more till Thursday, December 19 on the Orlando Magic. This four-day break can be half of a bigger stretch of two video games in 11 days that offers OKC an opportunity to recharge its batteries earlier than starting the ultimate portion of the pre-All-Star break schedule.
Alternatively, if the Thunder beat the Rockets, they may give their followers additional gas within the poisonous on-line battle between the 2 fan bases and create an additional cushion with their lead in first place. A win might additionally assist OKC earn a tiebreaker towards Houston since it’ll play it 5 instances this yr because of the unusual construction of the NBA Cup.
However a semifinal victory and an look within the NBA Cup Finals come at a worth. They might face the Milwaukee Bucks or Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, December 17 and prolong their keep in Las Vegas for 3 extra days. The NBA Cup Finals sport itself, which does not rely within the standings, additionally deflates among the pleasure, as it might be an 83rd sport for each groups.
This places the championship sport in a wierd state of affairs the place, regardless of the NBA’s finest efforts, the Thunder’s sport towards the Magic really means extra to them and has larger penalties. Let’s proceed on this path, nevertheless, to point out how a lot of a hindrance the NBA Cup championship sport can be to OKC’s regular schedule.
On this state of affairs – whatever the consequence of the NBA Cup Finals – the Thunder will then be in the midst of a brutal stretch of three video games in 4 days. All in numerous cities as nicely with the Magic and Miami Warmth back-to-back shortly after the extravaganza. OKC would have little time to have a good time the accomplishment earlier than returning to its grueling regular-season schedule.
The grand prize is good, however is it price all of the hype? How critically ought to the Thunder take their semifinal towards the Rockets? Most likely nearer to what it might seem like for every other December sport.
Mark Daigneault downplayed the significance of the NBA Cup. He would like the tiebreaker of group play to be one thing aside from level differential. He solely certified for the quarter-finals in a single match out of 82. He additionally supported him on the pitch. Towards the Mavericks, he performed his customary rotations and hit 13 gamers.
Evaluate that to the Rockets, who decreased their playoff rotation to eight gamers of their quarterfinal victory over the Warriors. It is apparent which of those two semifinal groups handled their knockout sport extra like a playoff contest than a regular-season exit.
For the Thunder, they’ve moved previous the necessity to impress the remainder of the league. They did it final season because the youngest seed ever. They had been only a few factors away from a possible Sport 7 within the second spherical towards the Dallas Mavericks. A powerful begin to the yr regardless of accidents additional reinforces what the league is aware of about OKC: They seem to be a critical title contender who will likely be round for some time.
The NBA Cup is a cool idea. It is a innocent venture. Both method, the groups would have performed 82 video games. Why not add just a little taste to a handful of those video games? However its development is filled with flaws and the inducement just isn’t robust sufficient. Why ought to followers care if millionaires make extra cash on the facet?
The group stage is nice, however as soon as the sphere narrows all the way down to eight groups, it results in unintended disadvantages for groups. Some could lose a house sport, some could also be compelled to journey to Las Vegas for an indefinite time frame, last-second video games additionally trigger logistical complications, and so forth.
If the NBA needs the Thunder to take the NBA Cup critically, they want to return to the drafting board and repair the knockout portion of the event. A easy answer can be to let the upper seed host the semifinal matches. If the league is set to host it in Las Vegas to point out the way it can turn out to be a future NBA market – which it actually would not have to do with an NFL, MLB and NHL franchise already there – then n ‘have the championship sport solely in Nevada. alone.
Till then, the Thunder ought to deal with their sport towards the Rockets like every other common season sport. And possibly even lower than that. Attributable to its unusual construction, the advantages of shedding may outweigh the advantages of profitable.
This text was initially printed on OKC Thunder Wire: How Severe Ought to the OKC Thunder Take the 2024 NBA Cup?
