Whether you like it or not, it looks like the play-tournament is going to be in around for a while.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league’s Board of Governors is expected tomorrow to finalize making the play-in tournament a permanent part of the season.
The play-in concept was first instituted during the COVID-interrupted season in 2020 when played resumed in the Orlando bubble. It was revived with mixed results by fans, with some loving it , as it gave teams in the lower portion of each conference something to play for, while others found it a needless and gimmicky addition to the season. In the subsequent season, the play-games have been much better received.
The previous playoff format was the top eight teams in each conference qualified for the postseason.
