Haliburton said the winner should get a guaranteed playoff spot, which is a nice idea for incentive but probably wouldn’t work because the teams that won could just half-ass it the rest of the season.
I have a couple non-in depth incentives in mind, in addition to the cash prizes.
- If the winner of the in-season tournament makes the playoffs, they get to choose their first round opponent. Would create lots of drama and storylines, while also increasing viewership.
If the winner of the in-season tournament doesn’t make the playoffs, they get increased lottery odds. Still a very good incentive for bad or young teams.
- The team who wins gets an extra first round pick. Probably a lesser incentive compared to the first one, but still something teams would want.
What incentives would you guys add if the in-season tournament is permanent?
I like just making the tournament worth bonus wins. 5 wins for first place, 3 wins for second, and 1 win for Top 4.
The winner of the tournament will probably make the playoffs in some form anyways, but this gives good incentive for making the knockout stage and trying to win the tournament. Can turn someone like a 3rd seed into the potential one seed and home court through their conference.