Play-in tourney

If there’s something the National Basketball Association got right, it’s the play-in tournament. For the West, in particular, the scrambling figures to go on until the very last day of the regular season. With only a handful of games left for each team, the goal is to close out the remainder of the schedule with a series of victories to ensure a spot in the playoffs — or, at the very least, an opportunity to claim one by snagging the ninth and 10^th seeds. And the jockeying for position has become must-see fare as a result.

Although there are only 15 teams in every conference, being part of the two-thirds that get to extend their 2024-25 campaign is much easier said than done. This is especially true in the crowded West, where the Lakers, provisionally, can fall to as low as 10^th, while the 13^th-running Spurs can climb to the same spot. The records are so close that every game day features movement in the standings. It’s why every outing is crucial, and why, by extension, diehard followers of the pro scene cannot wait for the postseason to begin.

Before then, though, fans get to find out whether the Nuggets will stay high enough to retain homecourt advantage in the first round. Given the seeming over-reliance on reigning Most Valuable Player awardee Nikola Jokic, the development is critical for the blue and yellow. Meanwhile, the Warriors have steadily gone up the ranks, with their momentum stringing along the possibility of securing the third seed in the playoffs. The Timberwolves and Clippers are likewise surging, enough to get pundits guessing as to how high they can go.

All told, the runup to the postseason serves as a proper preamble for upcoming matchups. Considering how much the brackets matter to those casting a moist eye on the hardware, strategic choices will, no doubt, come into play as the regular season draws to a close. Until then, the goal is to win every time out. Little wonder, then, that bench tacticians are already in playoff mode. The margins are so small that there is immense value to be had in gaining the confidence to believe that their respective fates are entirely up to them.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.