Over the past few years, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has attempted to implement new creative ideas to keep the fans entertained. The 2023-2024 season will debut in the new in-season tournament starting on November 3rd. This addition has left many players and fans skeptical about how it will work and what it will mean for the teams moving forward in the early stages of their season.

How it Works:

Every Eastern conference team has been randomly placed in three different groups of five, and every Western conference team has been placed in three of their own groups of five. From November 3rd to November 28, these teams will play every team in their group (two home and two away). Each team with the best record in their group will earn a spot in the next round. These six teams, plus an additional two wild card teams, will fight in a single elimination tournament. The tournament is confusing even for the players such as Clippers guard Bones Hyland, who still has no idea what the tournament is and how it benefits the players saying, “I don’t know what’s going on.” Hingham High School sophomore Henry Sellers shares a similar opinion to Hyland, saying, “The NBA really hasn’t explained the tournament enough. As a fan, I hate not knowing what is going on, but I am excited to see more basketball”. Although the NBA has left many people with more questions than answers, the excitement for the tournament still rises as November 3rd approaches.

Do the Games Count?:

Not every game in the in season tournament will count on the team’s record. All of the group games and the knockout games will count. Once the championship arrives two teams will still compete for the In Season Tournament trophy, but the game will not count towards the record of the two competing teams. Some players like Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton feel that there needs to be more of an incentive for the players to participate. Haliburton said, “I think the greatest incentive for everybody to do it would be an automatic playoff bid.”

Group Stages:

Group A:                                                             Group B:                                         Group C:

76ers                                                                    Bucks                                                Celtics

Cavaliers                                                              Knicks                                                Nets

Hawks                                                                  Heat                                                   Raptors

Pacers                                                                  Wizards                                            Bulls

Pistons                                                                Hornets                                               Magic

Group D:                                                             Group E:                                          Group F:

Grizzlies                                                             Nuggets                                            Kings

Suns                                                                   Clippers                                            Warriors    

Lakers                                                             Pelicans                                      Timberwolves

Jazz                                                                Mavericks                                          Thunder

Trail Blazers                                                     Rockets                                              Spurs