The play-in was almost a universal L on release, and it’s probably the best thing the NBA has done since Stern died now.
I think the NBA would have had so many dudes who deserve something of an elevated platform rotting in “didn’t make the playoffs” world, if they didn’t try new shyt. We got to see Ant make the offs, SGA had some great showings, that ATL/Miami game was this persistent benchmark that we used to compare how great Miami ended up being. An in-season tournament (that will almost assuredly matter more to the bad, young teams) could give a nikka like Scoot or Amen that ain’t going nowhere in 2023 a chance to ball