What the NBA In-Season Tournament means for the Lakers

The concept of a mid-season tournament has spread throughout the NBA for years, and it will finally be introduced in the 2023-24 season. Taking place from early November to early December, all thirty teams will compete for the new NBA Cup.

The Los Angeles Lakers are vying to insert themselves at the top of the Western Conference. By going 19-8 after the 2023 NBA trade deadline, Los Angeles kept its core rotation together in free agency and will enter next season with significant hopes of being a top seed for the playoffs.

The In-Season Tournament will split teams into six five-team groups for the first round of competition. Each team will compete in two home games and two away games, one against each of their group rivals.

Former LeBron James running mate Richard Jefferson broke down the full format. After the group rounds, the top teams will battle in a single elimination bracket until the final two rosters compete in Las Vegas for the final showdown.

For the Lakers, they will compete against the Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trailblazers for the first round.

All of these teams could be a formidable challenge for Los Angeles. Last postseason, the Lakers went head-to-head with the Grizzlies in round one. The Phoenix Suns have collected one of the most dangerous starting lineups in the NBA.

Each game other than the Vegas finale will count toward each team’s regular season record, so these games are not just for spectacle. Competing at your team’s best will matter. The Lakers will be able to prove they are the best team in the West and put the league on notice.

The NBA Cup will be a playoffs-lite experience for the Lakers, but this goes beyond a precursor to the post-season intensity. Winning the inaugural NBA Cup would be another way the Lakers set themselves apart as one of the most historic American sports franchises in history.

Winning the first NBA In-Season Tournament would be historic for the Lakers

When NBA dynasties are discussed, the Los Angeles Lakers will be in that conversation. Currently, Los Angeles is tied with the Boston Celtics at 17 for the most NBA Finals won.

The Lakers won their most recent Finals in 2020 with LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the nucleus. That championship added to a long list of titles won with an all-time great player leading the way. Though James will never reach the level of Los Angeles adoration that Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant rightfully earned by playing their entire careers with the organization, winning with James only further cements the legacy of the Lakers in NBA history.

In short, Los Angeles is a city of winning. It is a city that makes history when there is history to be made. When everything is on the line, the Lakers can almost never be counted out. The best talent in the league wants to be a part of that legacy.

While the NBA Cup will not be the same accomplishment as winning the Larry O’Brien trophy, the NBA Cup is another pillar of Lakers’ greatness. Winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament with a 38-year-old LeBron James is a storyline waiting to be written.

In 55 games played last season, James averaged 28.9 points, 6.8 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game. He might not be an iron man for all 82 games, but LeBron is clearly not done dominating.

Since the In-Season Tournament will be single elimination after the group rounds, that structure might suit LeBron better than consecutive seven-game series. Each win will get the Lakers another step closer to the grand prize, and LeBron will be able to raise his intensity without wasting his availability for the playoffs.

Additionally, Anthony Davis is still in his prime and ready to establish himself as another all-time Laker. Davis is one of the best two-way bigs in the NBA, and he has proven he is a winning player.

It is time Anthony Davis reminds the world who he is.

When the lights shine brightest, Davis does not back down. With his injury history, he can often be dismissed and underrated. Davis at his best in the In-Season Tournament would make Los Angeles one of the best contenders for the NBA Cup. He would once again make history for the Lakers.

All eyes will be on the Lakers this season to see how they follow up their tremendous run to the Western Conference Finals as a Play-In squad. Setting the first-ever NBA Cup in Los Angeles’ ever-growing trophy case is a piece of NBA history that could never be forgotten.