NBA Emirates Cup: Toronto Raptors hope to make more of a splash in second in-season tournament

With the newly named Emirates NBA Cup heading into it’s second year, we recap last year’s action while giving a few suggestions on how to engage fans more.

For the second consecutive season, the NBA will host an In-Season Tournament, now renamed the Emirates NBA Cup. This tournament adds a new level of excitement to the NBA regular season.

NBA Cup 101

To choose the groups for the NBA Cup, both the East and West conference are divided into three groups of five teams. For example, the Raptors are grouped with the Bucks, Pistons, Heat, and Pacers.

Starting on November 12, round-robin group play begins, with tournament games played on Tuesdays and Fridays. The top eight teams will then advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals, which include the three group winners and two wildcard teams from each conference.

The semifinals and finals take place in Las Vegas. Last year, the Lakers and Pelicans advanced to the final four from the West, while the Pacers and Bucks represented the East.

The LA Lakers went on to win the inaugural In-Season Tournament, — a fact which SB Nation Pro Basketball Manager Harrison Faigen won’t let you forget anytime soon.

The Raptors didn’t fare well in the first tournament, finishing 1-3 in round-robin play. However, it was early in the season, and the roster looks significantly different today than it did last November.

Adding some spice to Winter Hoops

One important takeaway from the first In-Season Tournament was the evident player engagement, the players cared and wanted to win which added more excitement to regular season action.

Notably, the star players showed increased effort, especially in the quarterfinals and finals. Stars like Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Tyrese Haliburton were clearly invested in winning the first-ever In-Season Tournament. Despite the tournament taking place in the middle of winter in Las Vegas, and featuring a funky court, it almost felt like we were watching playoff games during the regular season.

The elevated stakes in the knockout games visibly increased engagement from both players and fans. When the Celtics were eliminated by the Pacers in Indiana during the quarterfinals, the atmosphere was comparable to that of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

This kind of fun, high-stakes basketball throughout the regular season certainly creates more excitement for fans. If the players are invested, the fans will eventually be too.

Potential for Improvements

As entertaining as last season’s tournament games were, there is always room for improvement.

Expansion of the Single-Elimination Stage:

Single-game elimination creates some of the best atmospheres for fans and players alike. With everything on the line, every possession matters so much more. In a long NBA season, fans and players eagerly await the playoffs, where every game in a series feels like an elimination game. The knockout round of the tournament last year had a similar feel, drawing more interest from fans.

Instead of only the top seed from each group and one wildcard per conference advancing to the knockout round, expanding the knock out stage to include the top two seeds from each group and two wildcard teams per conference would create an even more exciting competition.

This would give the tournament an almost “March Madness” feel, with eight teams from the East and eight from the West competing in single-game elimination in an NBA Sweet 16.

Even though it’s just one more round of knockout games, these high-pressure situations are what fans crave. Since we don’t get this kind of excitement until the playoffs, the Emirates NBA Cup offers a great opportunity to enjoy suspenseful and thrilling regular season games.

Raising the Stakes of the Finals:

Last year, the tournament winners received prize money, with each player on the winning team earning $500,000, and teams that advanced to the knockout round also earning cash.

Of course, there was a trophy, and the Lakers even hung a banner (a bit odd). However, I have a suggestion for Mr. Silver (because I know you’re reading this) that would raise the stakes of the tournament to a new level.

For years, the MLB awarded home-field advantage in the World Series to the conference, or league in the MLB, that won the All-Star Game. A similar idea could be applied to the Emirates NBA Cup. With how crucial home-court advantage is in the playoffs, especially in the Finals, this would certainly motivate higher-seeded teams to compete even harder in the tournament.

What drew so many eyes to the In-Season Tournament games, compared to regular season games, was the playoff-like energy, especially in the knockout rounds. Raising the stakes of the tournament to impact the playoffs would bring an added level of pressure and excitement for fans and players. So, Commissioner Adam Silver, raise the stakes!

Raptors’ Tournament Round-Robin Games

The Toronto Raptors will open their tournament against the Bucks in Milwaukee on November 12th . They will then host the Pistons on November 15th for Game 2. After a break in tournament games, they will travel to Miami on November 29th to play the Heat, and then close out the round-robin at home against the Pacers.

In a deeper, tougher Eastern Conference, it will be a tightly contested round-robin. However, the Raptors got a reasonably favorable divisional draw in terms of matchups. But it’s only August, and who knows how these teams will perform in three months.

As the off-season continues, fans are eagerly awaiting the regular season and the excitement of the NBA Emirates Cup.