Maybe drop the in-season cup?

[Nuntius]

Im more pissed off about the 65 game award cutoff the NBAPA agreed to, among other things. Honestly the league would be in a better place if we had gotten another lockout

Hear, hear. The way that this is implemented right now is not good at all. In my opinion, the way this rule currently stands actively endangers player health as it makes them more likely to play hobbled and suffer either a re-aggravation or an even worse injury.

[jehosafats]

Why should the NBA sanction a worst than bronze trophy?

The in-season tournament isn't just gimmicky. It's a mistake.

I don't have a problem with it, but multiple parties went too far in trying to over-hype it. The NBA did a Finals-level ceremony after the game, and the Lakers hung a banner. Both of these actions were over the top, and made the whole deal seem ridiculous at the time. Now that the winners were just 1st round almost sweep exits, it looks even sillier.

IST is fine, but let's hold the champagne/banner hanging type stuff.

American sport teams like banners, so I do not see a problem. They didnt even had separate banner, they put that one with intention to update it if they win again in the future, it is like one banner for all IST wins in advance, pretty deuchy kind of way to do for the Lakers, but how is that overhyping?

Also. It was a tournament which they won, what are they suppose to do, just leave the arena. Every team celebrates trophies, does Manchester City just leave the pitch after they win English cup, because it aint Champions league final? Like seriously, some of you guys are just being ridiculous, a team cant celebrate a cup win now...

I get everyone defends their way and what they acustommed to, and for some reason American way is to have one championship and thats it. But, its like objectively worse model from fan perspective. What is more interesting to me? Watching my Euro team play in 3 different tournaments, not only mixing the routine, but making each game more important since there are less games in each run, or watching a team play 82 season games, and the record of if often barely end to matter anyway? It is not the latter. American long season model is boring, seriously, how dare they tingle with my December NBA season games by making it into something...

As I have said in other thread, it will have historical significance, because there will be times same team will win both IST and LO'B, and we will be debating that teams place in history books, and we will be sad some all time great teams played in a league prior to IST, and never gad a chance to prove the dominance throughout whole season, not just April-June.

2 weeks ago, one of our domestic teams retired Chuck Eidson's number, who is arguably the best foreigner to play in our country. Jersey retirements are very rare here, but Eidson was well deserved. I remember how dominant Eidson made that team, but during the ceremony, I was reminded that during Eidsons golden season, the team won all 4 leagues and cups they were. I pondered on that, and realized it trully was the best season in franchice history, they won domestic league and cup, baltic league and Eurocup. Now, if we had the model where there was only one championship, it would be great, but it just wouldnt be the same thing at all. To reach and win four different finals, it is something that will be reminded again and again and fans can be proud of.

And yes, often cup winners do not win late season, more important championships, but it never takes away their victory prior.

Also, IST wont or at least never should be tied to anything NBA playoffs. It is separate thing, I think having it's games count as regular season games was smart at first, but ideally going forward should just be completely separate. If you give IST winner things like home court advantage in play offs, it instantly cheapens both IST itself, and furthermore cheapens already cheap regular season. You do not play IST for advantage in play offs or smth, you play it to win IST. If you don't like it, just lose. If you think trophy is useless, that is your personal problem. As a fan, I also never cared for some tournaments, I usually only care about international ones, I do not care about domestic ones, since no one outside our borders would even care, so why I care, I sim for international glory

But I know plenty of fans care about domestic championship the most by far, because all longlasting rivalries are present there. I know many Newcastle United fans would rather win Premier over Champions league, tho to anyone outside their island, Champions league would be more prestigious and the thing that would make Newcastle a global story, not winning the England thing.

The longer season already makes things interesting. We wouldn't get the thrill of Miami's 27 game winning streak in 2013 or the Warrior's 28 game winning streak in 2015 were it not for an extensive playing season. The IST champion is likely to be more flukey than anything. And say a team wins both the IST and the Finals, by the end of a long season, I feel like the significance of the cup will still be much diminished.