Since it began in 2021, there’s been no shortage of controversy over the NBA play-in tournament. Fans, pundits, coaches and players alike — including one of the greatest ever, LeBron James — have voiced their displeasure at a feature that feels a bit tacked on to some.
It’s not enough that the NBA regular season is an almost six-month, 82-game gauntlet. Suppose you’re a squad on the edge of the traditional postseason in either conference; congratulations! Here’s another game (or two) as a reward. You might get another four to seven games after this (or more), and we hope your legs aren’t jello by then. Okay, bye!
On the other hand, after the initial trial run — and some successful individual battles — some of the simmering, underlying dissents are evaporating away.
