The NBA Cup isn't well worth the effort

The NBA Cup isn't well worth the effort.

It's almost not possible to follow him within the group stage. The incentive structure of prize money for players and coaches is flawed. Some across the league are concerned in regards to the potential injury risk of advancing to the playoffs so early within the season. The championship game takes Thanos out of history.

The worst part is that teams are punished for good performances within the NBA Cup, not rewarded. It's higher in the event that they miss the knockout rounds. Participation within the NBA Cup and promotion to it involve costs.

Think in regards to the Warriors facing Houston with a likelihood to advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas. If they beat the Rockets, they’ll play 40 home games this season, throwing their schedule out of whack and creating harder travel that may lead to a cascade.

“As far as the schedule goes, it hurts,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “If you lose a home game, it’s not good. That’s the only thing that sucks in my opinion.”

Added to their already extensive December schedule could possibly be the Rockets game, a neutral Mavericks or Thunder matchup, and a high-intensity Game 83 that doesn't count in any respect (apart from a banner and money).

East Coast teams that reach the semifinals may have to cross multiple time zones to get to Vegas, putting them at a fair greater competitive drawback.

Teams that miss the knockout stages, meanwhile, will play the same old 41 home games and might be rescheduled against other teams that missed out on the cup – likely easier opponents.

Since the NBA Cup (formerly referred to as the in-season tournament) is just in its second 12 months, it's difficult to make a judgment upfront. The league's goal is admirable: to generate interest in games before Christmas with an artificially more competitive environment. But it's clear there are problems that should be addressed.

“I understand why they do this,” the chief said. “I would like to see data that shows this works. And helps the league. I would like to see the numbers after this one and I think they need to reevaluate if it doesn't help at all.”

Last year, the Lakers-Pacers championship was the most-watched non-Christmas regular season game in six years, according to Nielsen. It was a huge victory for the league, whose fans were able to experience an increased level of competition in a new type of tournament at the start of the season.

But it's possible that last year's ratings success was a blip; It should come as no surprise that people were interested in seeing LeBron James in a championship-coded game. What happens this year if Steph Curry doesn't make the title game?

In the group phase, the barrier to entry for fans is very high due to inconsistent, annually changing groups and groundbreaking tiebreakers.

There is no real way for the league to turn around. As part of its 11-year media rights deal, Amazon acquired the rights to stream future NBA Cup quarterfinals, semifinals and championship games.

To be fair, the NBA Cup is not taking place at DEFCON 2. As long as the players are bought in, the games should be entertaining – and that's what really matters to the league. For a man, the players have taken the games seriously and are talking about winning the prize money. Some teams, especially those with young rosters, want their players to experience playoff-like games as well. It's not a disaster.

Nevertheless, reforms seem necessary. The League has demonstrated malleability through experimentation and therefore should be able to improve upon it as more data arrives.

Maybe the NBA Cup title game could replace the All-Star Game and kill two birds with one roundball. Perhaps the league could reduce the traditional schedule but add a true tournament format for the Cup. Instead of prize money, perhaps the league could award some sort of playoff tiebreaker to the winning team or give the winning players relief from the 65-game limit for individual awards.

The NBA Cup is not yet a failed experiment. But it needs to be in a trial and error phase in the conception phase.

Quarter Awards

Many around the league believe 20 games — a quarter of the season — is an appropriate sample size to draw conclusions from.

Let's start with 20 game awards.

MVP: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

Jokic's claim to be the best player in the league has never been stronger. When he is on the floor, the Nuggets have a net rating of +10.8. When he sits it is -16.6. In other words, when he plays, they are the 2015-16 Warriors and statistically the worst team of all time when he's on the bench.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dyson Daniels, Hawks

On a chart with steals on the x-axis and deflections on the y-axis, Daniels is all alone. “The Great Barrier Thief,” a fringe threat, was a revelation in Atlanta.

The award rarely goes to guards, and the Hawks' mediocre team will likely prevent Daniels from actually winning the award. But 1 / 4 of the way in which through the season? Recognize the theft specialist.

Honorable Mentions: Isaiah Hartenstein, Evan Mobley, Amen Thompson, Draymond Green, Victor Wembanyama

Rookie of the Year: Jared McCain, 76ers

With a bullet. McCain was by far the intense spot in a miserable start for the 76ers. What a bargain at 16.

Honorable Mentions: Stephon Castle (my preseason pick), Zaccharie Risacher, Jaylen Wells, Yves Missi

sixth man: Payton Pritchard, Celtics

Two years ago, Pritchard wanted to go away Boston. Instead, Brad Stevens invested in him and empowered him. Now the guard is one of the best bench man within the league.

Honorable Mentions: Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Aaron Wiggins, Deuce McBride

Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson, Cavaliers

Honorable Mention: Jordi Fernandez, Nets