It has been a month since the Milwaukee Bucks won the second annual NBA Cup in Las Vegas on Dec. 17.
While not counting on the standings, that loss is only one of the seven times this Thunder team has lost this season.
But why does it seem like it has been all but forgotten? Ever since the inception of this additional competition within the NBA season, one of the most significant negatives has been how the NBA will make the players and fans care about this new idea.
The players were given a cash incentive to advance to the quarterfinals and the knockout stages. However, the fans and media have had more of an uphill climb as they have tried introducing new courts and jerseys associated with these Cup games.
Current format
Before we consider potential changes or tweaks to the NBA Cup, here is a refresher on this past season’s format.
Based on last year’s standings, the league split each conference into three groups. Within each group, the teams played four games — two at home and two on the road — which comprised the “group play” portion of the Cup. Eight teams advanced to the knockout stage, which included the group winners and two “wildcard” teams, the best teams from each conference that did not win their group.
Knockout play will start once those teams are determined and placed into the bracket. Teams will host the initial round of games before the Cup progresses to Vegas for the Semifinals and the championship. Every game throughout the NBA Cup counts towards the regular season standings except for the Championship game.
Changes the NBA can make
While the league did a good job of creating “Cup Nights,” which featured new courts and different uniforms, the schedule’s overall clunkiness caused the Cup to lose some of its momentum as time passed.
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The designated games were played on Tuesdays and Fridays starting Nov. 12 and going through Dec. 3. While the Cup games were fun and did showcase what felt like a heightened sense of competition in these games, it was the stop-and-start nature that the league could alter.
Instead of only playing four group play games, the league can begin right at the beginning of November and have that portion of the competition last the whole month.
Expanded group play
Part of this expanded group play could see an increase in Cup games, going from every team playing four games to every team playing eight.
Eight games would allow everyone to play each team in their group twice, and each team would play everyone at home and on the road. Increasing the number of group play games would keep all the teams more engaged for longer, as even if you lose your first two cup games, you are still in play to advance to the knockout rounds.
The Cup night format of Tuesdays and Fridays can stay the same, and the league can turn November into group play. The league could brand November as “Cup Month,” and teams could compete to get to Vegas and win those cash incentives with an even more incredible honor.
Knockout changes
Single-elimination basketball provides stakes and pressure early on in the season when the NBA season is typically ramping up.
The most significant alteration the league can look to make in the knockout portion of the NBA Cup would not need to be to the format but to the scheduling and logistics.
For decades, the biggest NBA games have occurred on holidays, such as MLK Day and Christmas Day.
Christmas Day typically features five premier matchups of top teams and stars. What better way to promote the NBA Cup than to have the championship game be one of those matchups? It would feature one or two top teams in the league, and having the game played on such a special day would provide extra incentive for players to strive for.
Players still care about playing on Christmas and showcasing their abilities. Allowing players and teams that may not ordinarily get a chance to play on that day could make for captivating basketball. The league could accomplish this by moving the knockout stage a little later in the month, with the championship positioned towards the holiday.
What does the NBA Cup do moving forward?
Ultimately, the Emirates NBA Cup is here to stay.
It just got a new sponsor and will be a significant selling point for the league when it goes to negotiate its next TV contract or if it would like to sell it to a streaming service. While it has been relatively successful in getting off the ground, the NBA has shown that it is not afraid to change if it thinks it can improve its product.
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