The NBA has a new in-season tournament that will be implemented next season and will take place Friday, November 9 in Las Vegas. This idea has been flirted with for several seasons but now is in full effect.
The NBA has most recently incorporated some new ideas such as the Play-In Tournament for the postseason, and a new All-Star game format. Both have been incredibly popular and have had a positive impact on the league. So how does this tournament affect the Atlanta Hawks and how did players, such as Trae Young, have a role in this?
Some speculate the regular season loses interest until post-Christmas games for the NBA. As Terrell Thomas stated on The Weekend Show with Sam and Greg.
“Once we get into Christmas games then fans really start to dive into the season and start paying attention to what’s going on," Thomas said. "I think the NBA has kind of gathered that over the last few years as well based off their ratings and such. And to be even quite honest from the comments from our very own super star Trae Young has made about the regular season being kinda boring for a lack of a better term.”
Adding another element and being aggressive toward the regular season will not only add viewership, but will give the players another reason to give their best effort during the low point of the NBA schedule.
What group do the Hawks fall into in the in-season tournament? The tournament was divided in two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, with 15 teams on both sides. Within the 15 teams for the conference, they are divided up into three groups of five based on their record last season. The Hawks fall in the East A group, which includes the 76ers, Cavaliers, Pacers, and Pistons.