The first few weeks of play in the NBA’s new in-season tournament went smoothly, albeit with a bit of confusion on the structure. But it was hard to prepare for the chaos that the final days of group play brought, as teams took rare and drastic measures to improve point differentials.
But one player who appeared to enjoy the full-game sprint for buckets was Suns guard Devin Booker. When asked about Phoenix attempting to score as many points as possible and the mindset that came along with teams pushing for a larger point differential to advance from group play, he admitted that he wished every game was like that.
“I’ve seen teams upset about it, I don’t know why. I’ve seen players upset about it, I don’t know why. I mean, honestly, I wish every game was like that where you play until the end, and it wasn’t viewed as disrespectful. Just high competition.” Devin Booker told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
It’s a fair point from Booker, but the comment that really stood out came when he was asked about the “traditions of the sport” and “integrity” of the game.
“If everybody’s under the same impression that you’re playing until the end, then it’ll never be a problem,” Booker stated.
Bingo.
"I've seen teams upset about it, I don't know why. I've seen players upset about it, I don't know why. I wish every game was like that where you play until the end and it wasn't viewed as disrespectful. Just high competition." Devin Booker on NBA In-Season point tiebreakers #Suns pic.twitter.com/mzDqnRyvAk
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 30, 2023
While players and coaches surely felt a bit strange and uncomfortable with the rare approach from opponents, the big question is whether that will change after another year or two of the in-season tournament. As teams get used to the unique format, that should also lead to it being less of an issue in the future, at least in an ideal world.
But Booker’s mindset on the topic is one that many coaches and players could benefit from having going forward.
