There was a time when the middle of March saw few meaningful matches in the National Basketball Association. With the regular season coming to a close, many — if not most — of the seedlings will have been determined, with protagonists either eyeing the playoffs or jockeying for position in the race to make the first choice in the rookie draft. Indeed, there was no middle ground for those casting moist eyes on the hardware, whether in the short or long term: Barreling like a tank or tanking to the bottom of the barrel were the only viable options.
Not anymore. A confluence of events and changes in prevailing circumstances have lent well to an extremely competitive atmosphere. Between the onset of parity and the institution of a play-in tournament, the opportunity to book a postseason slot has been extended to all but a handful of also-rans. Which is why the last month of the 2022-23 campaign has featured significant moves in the middle of standings for both conferences. In the East, just six games separate the eighth and 13th spots. The battle for positioning in the West is even closer; four games separate the fourth and 12th seeds.
Considering the stakes involved, playoff hopefuls have no choice but to try to win every match they play. There can be no off-days, no load management, no taking off on the second outing of a back-to-back set, no slacking on the road. With tiebreakers likewise figuring heavily on the equation, the impetus is to stockpile on wins. Imagine the blow to be dealt to a team that failed to crash the play-in tourney solely on the basis of a poor showing. The pressure is on. For example, the Mavericks are protesting their loss to the Warriors the other day, never mind the likelihood of its trashing by the Commissioner’s Office; every win counts.
Bottom line: The league has succeeded in staying relevant throughout the season. Heck, it has hogged headlines even during the off-season, fueled by incessant chatter on player movements. Meanwhile, the fans can’t get enough of the competition on the court and off.
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.
