Speaking to the media in Paris this week, Adam Silver opened up on several different topics ranging from the international game to the NBA itself. At one point, Silver even spoke about the in-season tournament and confirmed that the event will be making a return for the 2024-25 campaign.
“It will no doubt be back. We are happy with the success after the first season,” said Silver, via The Athletic. “30 team officials discussed potential changes, from how to break tiebreakers, to what the courts look like, to the name of the overall tournament… Beyond that, as we’re talking to television partners and maybe figuring out exactly when the best time of year is to (hold the tournament), maybe it will make sense to make some other modifications to the format.”
The in-season tournament was initially met with skepticism by fans and analysts. When the idea was first proposed, there were many concerns about how to get the teams and players to buy in but those concerns were crushed when the knockout stage began and the intensity was dialed up to 11. All-in-all, fans were left with an overall positive view of the tournament and most are eager to see how it will evolve over the next few years.
Potential Changes Are Coming
While the in-season tournament event is likely to remain mostly unchanged, Silver did admit that some adjustments could be in the works. At the top of the list for potential alterations are the court designs. This year, the bold and solid color schemes for each court drew a lot of criticism from fans who felt they were too distracting. In the future, we could see a more toned-down look for the whole tournament that will avoid causing any unnecessary distractions.
There’s also the aspect of point-differential tie-breakers. In the inaugural event, the point spread was a matter of great importance to determine standings and potential tie-breakers between teams. Next year, however, that could be changed so that there’s a limit on how much the point differential gets counted.
Between these aspects and a potential shift in the timing, it seems like a given that something will be different for the next in-season tournament. But as long as the league keeps roughly the same format, and the players stay invested in the competition, it will always translate into a successful viewing experience for the fans.
Who Will Win In 2024?
The Lakers made history last month by becoming the first team ever to win the in-season tournament. While the work took a toll on the Lakers this season, their intensity throughout the games set the bar going forward and it will be interesting to see how it evolves over time. But who will be the next team to win the tournament?
As we saw in this year’s competition, the event has a playoff-like atmosphere to it, and it’s probably why the Lakers found so much success as an experienced group of veterans. In 2024, it’s hard to say who will win the IST but teams who have a lot to prove might feel more compelled to take the tournament more seriously. Either way, whoever wins it, the in-season tourney is here to stay and it will be a feature on the NBA calendar for many years to come.
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