3 Changes I Would Make To The NBA Cup

The NBA Cup just wrapped up its second year, and while some have called it a success, I would consider it a work in progress. Here are a few changes I would make that I believe would help the tournament's competitiveness and popularity going forward.

Make The Current Divisions The Tournament's Groups

Prior to the 2015-16 NBA season, winning your division guaranteed you a top-four seed in the conference for the playoffs. While there was support for this, the change has essentially made NBA divisions meaningless. The In-Season Tournament provides a perfect opportunity to reestablish division rivalries.

Natural rivalries and intensity are already present in divisional games, which foster the competitive environment the NBA Cup needs. Supporters will be more invested if their team defeats well-known opponents. Since teams already face divisional opponents up to four times a year, this also helps organize the schedule.

Start The Tournament On Christmas and Play The Games Consecutively

The games being played specifically on Tuesdays and Fridays feels odd to me, which likely means it’s designed for the casual fan. Instead of being played twice a week, the tournament games should be played one after the other. A shorter timetable creates excitement and maintains audience interest throughout the tournament.

Personally, I think Christmas Day would be a great start date. As football begins to wind down, it would give fans something to look forward to with the NBA. Christmas Day is already a major event on the NBA calendar. This approach ensures the tournament doesn't feel like an afterthought added to the regular season, but rather like a true event that matters.

If You Win The Tournament, You Are Guaranteed a Playoff Spot

While I understand money is important to all of these players, the NBA needs to add an incentive to win this tournament. By winning the NBA Cup, I think it should guarantee that a team cannot fall below the 6-seed in their conference, thereby avoiding the play-in tournament entirely.

Last season, the Lakers won the Cup, but then went 3-9 in their next 12 games after the tournament final. This stretch was a major reason why they ended up in a dogfight for postseason positioning and were forced to play extra games to secure a playoff spot. A guaranteed playoff berth for Cup winners would acknowledge their accomplishment and ensure that the hard work required to win the event was not wasted. If their regular-season record doesn't get back on track, Milwaukee might face a similar situation this year.