Random NBA Observations 2021 - 2022

Brozay

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The play in games are basically designed to curb tanking, but the Lakers and Nets are the perfect test case scenarios as to why they are doing it in the first place.

For the Lakers, they have no chance of reaching 8th basically, so their season would have pretty much ended at the All Star break. Thats not good for the NBA at all. At least with this play-in, they can win 2 games (Pelicans and then Clippers/T Wolves loser) and make it into the playoffs. Is it fair? Not at all. But its a way to keep interest in the league for the whole season, as well as not having teams just trade players away.

In the West, basically the 1st and 8th seeds are wrapped up. Basically 7th is gonna be Minnesota. So all to watch now are jockeying for 2nd-6th, and there are still 17 games left.
I get why people dont love this, but it does increase competition levels and those play in games will be fun to watch IMO - it could create some fun player matchups (especially younger talent) to highlight and promote
 

charknicks

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I get why people dont love this, but it does increase competition levels and those play in games will be fun to watch IMO - it could create some fun player matchups (especially younger talent) to highlight and promote

I agree. I like the idea to be honest. I didnt at first. But it gives the 7th-10th teams that 1 game NCAA type feeling and scenario.
 

SchoolboyC

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The play in games are basically designed to curb tanking, but the Lakers and Nets are the perfect test case scenarios as to why they are doing it in the first place.

For the Lakers, they have no chance of reaching 8th basically, so their season would have pretty much ended at the All Star break. Thats not good for the NBA at all. At least with this play-in, they can win 2 games (Pelicans and then Clippers/T Wolves loser) and make it into the playoffs. Is it fair? Not at all. But its a way to keep interest in the league for the whole season, as well as not having teams just trade players away.

In the West, basically the 1st and 8th seeds are wrapped up. Basically 7th is gonna be Minnesota. So all to watch now are jockeying for 2nd-6th, and there are still 17 games left.

These teams have 82 games to finish top 8. If after that they don’t qualify then that’s just too damn bad. The Lakers are 2-7 since the ASB so even if they did tank instead it wouldn’t have made a difference. The Pelicans are literally closer to being the 15th seed than they are to being 7th. Yet the play-in makes it possible that Minnesota could lose their spot to them. That is a complete joke.

Can the games be entertaining? Sure. This is basketball. If you put OKC & Houston in a win-or-go home format with a playoff berth on the line players will step up and go hard. But this was never needed. You got 82 games to earn your spot. Giving these mediocre teams an unearned second chance is wack to me.
 
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