The merit of having the NBA play-in tournament has been a hot button topic in recent weeks. Are the expanded playoffs perfect? They are not. That said, it makes sense for the 2020-21 season.
The format is as follows: the No. 7 and No. 8 seed in each conference square off with the winner claiming the seventh seed and the loser playing the winner of the No. 9 vs No. 10 seed game. The winner of the latter claims the eighth seed.
This is a 72-game regular season, shorter than the traditional 82-game season. Every season there are teams that surprise in both good and bad ways from a record standpoint. Considering the quick turnaround from the NBA bubble, which was roughly three months for those who competed in the playoffs, it was reasonable to expect some teams from last season to come out of the gate slow; this happened with the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks.
There had to be some margin for error, as fewer games played comes with all the more uncertainty. That meant expanding the postseason, which is what the play-in tournament does.
It gives teams who struggled to get their feet beneath them in the early stages of the season the chance to grind their way into a playoff spot. For teams that feel they played well enough to the point where they shouldn't have to participate in the round, they have to win one of two games to get past the apprehension.
The Washington Wizards exemplify why this format was put into place. They entered the season with a new star duo (Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook), got off to a disappointing start and have now been one of the best teams in the sport over the last month. They have the chance to win their way into the spring festivities.
Concurrently, the Los Angeles Lakers are benefiting from this format in a reverse manner. Yes, the team that's the reason why we're debating the play-in round is actually benefiting from the same thing they have a grudge with. How is that?
The Lakers are the seventh seed in the West at 38-30, just three and a half games ahead of the ninth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies with four games remaining in the regular season. A combination of high-profile injuries have wrecked the defending NBA champions' strong first half.
If this were an 82-game season with no play-in round, the Lakers would have 14 games left to fend off the field. With the clip they've been losing games of late and the fluid health situations of LeBron James and Anthony Davis in mind, wouldn't the Lakers be a candidate to miss the playoffs?
Numerous American sports leagues have gone forth with expanded postseasons over the last year with the same thought in mind: we need margin for error.
MLB had a 16-team postseason with a three-game Wild Card round in its 60-game regular season. The NHL had 24 teams compete for the Stanley Cup in a pair of Canadian bubbles to finish out the 2019-20 season. Meanwhile, the NFL added one team to each playoff field at the start of the 2020 season (AFC and NFC).
The NBA is no different. It's only now a big deal because one of the most renowned franchise's in sports is in danger of slipping out of the playoffs.
There have been significantly less days off this season with most teams playing every other night in the regular season. By the way, how many teams can one say with the utmost confidence are deliberately tanking?
This is a sport mocked for essentially one-third of its teams' front offices trying to put a product on the floor that will enhance its chances of finishing with a bad record and therefore having a better chance of winning the NBA lottery. Having two extra playoff spots in each league adds incentive for teams to put a winning product on the floor and make a playoff run. That can come in the form of keeping a veteran core together and/or making a move to improve the roster before the NBA trade deadline.
It adds more excitement for the fans, who are the reason why sports continue to be an entertainment pillar. More playoff games and more teams competing for the playoffs is fun for fans and the sport as a whole. It's horrifying for the fan base of a team whose playoff hopes are hanging in the balance, but it's better than having no season altogether.
It's fair to ponder whether the playoff model should stick down the road, as there's a considerable chance that the sport gets back to an 82-game regular season in 2021-22 and will be coming off a longer offseason period.
Friendly reminder: one year ago today we had no clue if the 2019-20 NBA season would even resume.
The pros outweigh the cons. This season is unique, and unique matters call for unique solutions. The NBA play-in tournament is a plausible outlet for the sake of this season.
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