One-on-One: Has the play-in tournament been a success for the NBA? 

As the NBA season comes to a close and the playoffs loom on the horizon, at least eight teams, four in each conference, will play for their season in a win-or-go-home scenario next week. The NBA’s play-in tournament, introduced in 2020 and made permanent in 2022, decides the fate of the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th seeds in both conferences. Since its inception, the tournament has been a point of contention for teams and fan bases. 

Proponents of the tournament feel that it adds extra drama to the end of the season, while critics say it devalues the 82-game regular season. In this week’s one-on-one, contributors Steffen White and Jacob Hypke give their take on the tournament’s success or lack thereof. 

Yes

By Steffen White

The play-in tournament is a great thing for the NBA. As ratings decline, the tournament allows more fan bases to invest later in the season instead of skipping games to scour mock drafts and look toward the following season. The NBA is an entertainment product. The league will capitalize on the TV windows it can get, the more seats it can sell and the more fans that cling to hope as the season progresses. 

The tournament will allow fans to see rising stars such as former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher play meaningful postseason games they likely wouldn’t have in the prior format. It also allows for a Cinderella run, such as the Miami Heat’s run to the Finals in 2023 after winning in the play-in. We are just coming off of March Madness, and though there weren’t many upsets this year, maybe that means just more chaos is yet to come in the NBA. It’s certainly possible that an NBA team gets hot and makes a run that can rejuvenate the sport.

No 

By Jacob Hypke

We are only days away from one game determining whether a ten or eight-seed should face a number one seed. This is the biggest problem with the play-in tournament. A one-game series system allows fluke wins and top seeds to face unworthy teams that create 4-0 series blowouts, giving fans a lower-quality experience and losing the NBA viewership and money. 

If the Oklahoma City Thunder or Houston Rockets face the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, it would be unfair to the other Western Conference playoff teams, especially whoever they beat. The Mavericks are a worse team than they were with Luka Dončić, who acquired most of their wins before being traded in February.