NBA Cup 2025: Players, Coaches & Future of Tournament
Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text:
Main Points:
* NBA Schedule Adjustments: The NBA is making adjustments to the schedule to address concerns about demanding stretches of games (like five games in seven days). While these intense stretches will be reduced gaps created by the In-Season Tournament (the “Cup”) will need to be made up during the regular season.
* Travel Burden: Teams are concerned about the travel demands,particularly after playing in Las Vegas for the Cup. Examples are given of Oklahoma City and Milwaukee experiencing difficulties following their Cup runs. Orlando was facing a particularly long road trip had they won against the Knicks.
* Cup’s impact on Teams:
* Negative: Winning the Cup can be taxing, leading to struggles immediately afterward (as noted by doc Rivers).
* Positive: The cup provides valuable experience for young teams, preparing them for the pressures of the playoffs and Finals (as highlighted by Jalen Williams of the Thunder). It also gives up-and-coming teams a larger platform to showcase their talent.
* Coaches’ Perspectives: Mike brown (Knicks) jokingly suggested moving the Cup final to New York to avoid travel. He also admitted he initially doubted the Cup and play-in games but now believes they are beneficial, deferring to adam Silver for scheduling decisions.
Key Teams Mentioned:
* Oklahoma City Thunder: Used the Cup experience to prepare for the finals.
* Milwaukee Bucks: Coach Doc Rivers noted the toll the Cup took on his team.
* Miami Heat: Mentioned as a team Oklahoma City played against after their Cup loss.
* Orlando Magic: Faced a potentially grueling road trip if they had won.
* New York knicks: Coach Mike Brown commented on the travel issues.