The New York Knicks were one of the eight teams that were fortunate enough to advance out of pool play in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. They will continue their journey with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night in the Knockout Round.
Should the Knicks win that game, they will head onto Las Vegas for the semifinals, where the Indiana Pacers are awaiting the victor of Tuesday’s game. Indiana defeated the Boston Celtics on Monday night 122-112 to punch their ticket to the next round.
That, at least for the Knicks, is part of the issue with the first In-Season Tournament. New York earned the right to advance with their performance in pool play, going 3-1 and having one of the best point differentials. But, their success there could end up hurting them in the long-run.
As a result of earning a Wild Card spot and not winning their pool, the Knicks have to go on the road to face the Bucks tonight. That could be a lot of travel if they win as they would head to Las Vegas for potentially two more games. Should they advance to the Finals, they will have to play an 83rd regular season game, which won’t ultimately count toward their record.
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Because of how the schedule was made in the offseason, if that occurs, New York will have to fly back to the east coast to host the Toronto Raptors on Monday, December 11th. Following that game, they are heading back out west to start a five-game road trip.
Finding success in the In-Season Tournament should be a reward, not a punishment, as it could turn out being when it comes to traveling for the Knicks. Because of the schedule, the Knicks will have one fewer game at Madison Square Garden, where they have held a distinct advantage this season.
Losing a home game is bad enough, but strength of schedule wise, the Knicks are also facing a potential uphill battle for succeeding in pool play. The NBA schedule isn’t perfectly balanced, as teams don’t face each other the same amount every year.
But, for advancing out of Pool Play, the Knicks have been rewarded with a fifth matchup this season against the Bucks, perennial Eastern Conference contenders. If they are unable to win that game on Tuesday night, they will play a fifth game in total, and third on the road, against the Boston Celtics.
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While there is some monetary motivation, this is something that could hurt the team in the long-run when it comes to playoff standings. As shared by Stefan Bondy, the Brooklyn Nets, who had three wins in pool play but lost out on advancing because of point differential, face the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks for their extra games.
Competitive balance is something that the NBA will have to figure out in future versions of the In-Season Tournament. Money for players, some of whom are already making so much they don’t know what to do with it, may not be enough motivation for franchises to see their teams succeed.
Playing 10 games against the Bucks and Celtics, with each of the extra games being on the road, is certainly an unfair shake for the Knicks. Based on how the schedules turned out, New York could have been better off not having that epic comeback against the Miami Heat in their third In-Season Tournament game.
Had they lost that game, their 81st and 82nd games of the season would have been against weaker opponents than the Bucks and Celtics with at least one of them being at home. Teams should be rewarded for such performances, not punished in the long run of a marathon NBA regular season.
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