What’s up r/nba – this is Evan Wasch, Head of Basketball Strategy & Analytics at the NBA! Excited to talk all things NBA In-Season Tournament this Friday at 3:00 PM ET going into more Group Play action. Gather your questions and Ask Me Anything!
How long has the In-Season Tournament been in the works before finally coming to fruition this season? Are there any major changes to how it works now compared to when it was pitched?
How much more can the NBA suck at enforcing basic rules to the game?
Given that it leads to suicidal ideation has the NBA thought about at least eliminating the odious “Everybody Clap Your Hands” ear torture at least during the In-Season Tournament?
Have there been discussions to split teams into groups based on criteria other than last year’s finishing position? Right now, groups are the only and most confusing part of the tournament. I can’t follow who’s in whose group as opposed to say Champions League.
There was a lot of discussion about how to form the groups, and we decided on the current model for a few reasons - it helps maintain competitive balance between the groups, creates a connection between multiple seasons similar to Champions League, and allows us to have a group draw every year which we think will grow into a fun annual event for teams and fans. We’re very open to changing different aspects of the tournament in the future if we thought we could improve the competition or make it more engaging for fans, so the group formation could be something we revisit. -Evan
How did you get into your role working in the NBA?
I started as an intern in the NBA’s Team Marketing and Business Operations group when I was getting my MBA, and then began full-time after graduating business school in a group that was then called Strategic Development focusing on league-level business strategy. My passion has always been for the game on the court though, and I’ve been fortunate to have my role evolve over time into one that uses those same strategic principles but focuses primarily on basketball. -Evan
Is the NBA open to tweaking the tournament format (group draws, schedule, prize/incentive structure) at all or is this the way the tournament is going to look for several years before any changes are considered?
For sure! We’re definitely open to potential changes after we see how this season goes. -Evan
Sweet. I’d love to see the group matchups a league-wide random draw could produce next year!
I work as a Software Engineer. NBA analytics is my dream, and I think in general Sports is a dream for a lot of people my age. How do you get your start in the field?
Would’ve have killed yall to give the Wizards a good court design and uniform for the tourney
What is the reason for having an additional game for the final 2 teams of the tournament?
The tournament itself is only 3 rounds for 8 teams, and logically, all 8 teams could play each other like the FIBA tournament without the need for an 83rd game. What were the constraints that necessitated the additional game?
Hi Evan, what is your prediction on which team will take home the first NBA In-Season Tournament trophy?
Will there be more incentive in the future for the in season tournament
Why not mix it up during the knockout rounds ie. West 1st vs. East 4th, etc.? Would be cool to see different matchups than the playoffs
I understand that the current method of selecting groups was to ensure the best teams are more likely to end up in the knockouts, and thus be more likely to drum up interest - but assuming the tournament is a success, do you foresee the groups being division-based in the near future? One of the things that the NBA currently lacks in comparison to other leagues is team rivalries, and I feel like the groups being the divisions (and thus the same every year) is a good opportunity to start investing in the growth of those kinds of rivalries.
What’s the point of the tournament? Why isn’t it a million per player in the end? Seems like that would make it way more exciting
why are we interspersing non-tournament games and tournament games on the schedule? Doesn’t that kind of ruin the eventfulness? I keep looking up after games and the standings haven’t changed and I’m like “oh too bad… good win but it didn’t count for the tournament”
It’s so confusing.