The pros and cons of the NBA Play-In Championship have long been debated. It's been years since the league adopted this format, and while some people seem to like it, others aren't impressed with what we've seen so far.
The Play-In Championship is, in simple words, an opportunity for two more teams to make the playoffs, expanding their potential postseason pool all the way to the No. 10 spot. This has also given LeBron James, one of the greatest small forwards in NBA history, more Opportunities to make the playoffs despite his team's struggles.
Needless to say, this was quite controversial. Some fans seem to like it, but others don't. However, to delve into the pros and cons of the NBA Play-In Championship, we have to talk about context and that the NBA is a business first and foremost.
Is a Play-In Championship good for the league?
On the one hand, it's always nice to have some of the best teams in the league in a win-or-go-home situation. This is great for ratings, especially considering the fact that some of the best players in the game are getting older.
LeBron James and Stephen Curry may not have much of a chance to make the playoffs unless their rosters improve dramatically, but the presence of the Play-In gives them a chance, and fans always want to watch them go toe-to-toe.
On the other hand, this also weakens the league further. Teams can relax knowing they have more margin for error, as only four teams from each conference will have a chance to reach the postseason, and that leaves the door open for mediocre teams to sneak in.
It goes without saying that everyone loves underdog and Cinderella stories, and this paves the way for not-so-good teams to get hot when it matters most, go on a deep postseason run and who knows, maybe even win an NBA championship.
The truth is, it's hard to think of the NBA putting this idea together if it weren't for the game's superstars. With all due respect to the Eastern Conference, no one seems to rank highly in Play-In Tournament matches because these teams are not good at all.
A game between the Atlanta Hawks, for example, this version of the Chicago Bulls doesn't sound exciting or even worth watching for most fans, but that's not the case if you have the likes of Anthony Davis participating in it with, say, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
Is there an alternative?
Maybe the only way to fix this is to tweak the playoff seeding a bit. For years, fans have talked about how great it would be to have top teams ranked by record rather than conference, and that would certainly boost the competitive spirit of the league.
The top 16 teams should have a chance to pursue an NBA championship. We have seen many Western Conference teams miss the playoffs despite having a positive record, sometimes having exactly the same record as other teams that made the playoffs, or even better than some Eastern Conference teams.
The league consistently rewards mediocrity and losing performances. From the NBA Lottery to the Play-In Championship to now the Season Championship, they seem to discourage the desire to pursue what really matters, which is the NBA Championship and Larry O'Brien swag.
However, ratings continue to rise, as do revenues, so the league has little incentive to fix the kind of problems that have caused older audiences to turn their attention elsewhere.
