After the Lakers lost for the sixth time in their last seven games on Sunday night, forward LeBron James became the latest star player to criticize the NBA’s new play-in tournament that will determine the final two playoff teams in each conference, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.
“Whoever came up with that s–t needs to be fired,” James said.
Last month, Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic and owner Mark Cuban both offered similar assessments of the play-in format, with Doncic saying he didn’t see the point of it and Cuban calling it an “enormous mistake” to have implemented it this season.
As was the case with Doncic’s and Cuban’s comments, it’s impossible to accept LeBron’s critique at face value without considering his team’s place in the standings. After starting the season with a 21-6 record, the Lakers have gone just 15-22 and are now in a three-way tie for fifth place in the West — Dallas, Portland, and L.A. have matching 36-28 records, so if the Lakers’ slump continues in the season’s final two weeks, they’ll likely find themselves participating in a play-in game.
It’s probably safe to assume that LeBron wouldn’t be speaking out against the play-in format if the Lakers comfortably held a top-four seed — especially since he favored a play-in tournament to determine the last playoff team prior to last summer’s restart, as Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report notes (via Twitter).
Still, it sounds as if LeBron’s frustration with the format comes from a similar place as Cuban’s — the Mavericks owner wasn’t necessarily against the play-in tournament in general, but said that it was a mistake to introduce it during a compressed season, following a shortened offseason.
The play-in format makes the regular season results more important at a time when the league has squeezed 72 games into a 146-day calendar (instead of 82 in 177), meaning teams have to fight harder for their position in the standings when they may prefer to be resting key players and getting them healthy.
In James’ case, he recently returned from a right ankle sprain that sidelined him for 20 games, but it appears he’s still bothered by that injury. As McMenamin writes, the 36-year-old left Sunday’s loss midway through the fourth quarter due to right ankle soreness and didn’t return.
“I definitely want to get healthy. Not only for myself, but for our team,” James said. “I need to make sure my ankle is where it was before the injury. I’ve got to be smart with it.”
Exactly, they don’t like it when they are in the play-in games but when you’re a top 3 seed you don’t care at all
Cue the world’s smallest violin…
Actually I like the play in games format. I like wild card in baseball as well because it creates a “game 7” situation. Win or go home type of thing. I love it !! Sort of like March Madness in college.. win or go home makes the games so exciting.
This is exactly why player’s should have ZERO input for how the league is run. People always worry about how something affects them personally more than how it affects the whole. And not just in the NBA, but in all aspects of life in general. This is why you need parties that are completely neutral to set guidelines and rules.
Neutrality rah!
We certainly didn’t have an issue with the play in game when the Lakers weren’t close to the 6-9 seed. odd time to bring up your displeasure.
Biggest turd on the planet
Not even close lol he’s a basketball player chill out
Lat year he had no problem with it now that teams could be in it they have problems. If you are going to lose to a 9th or 10th seated team you are not going to win a championship.
If one star is injured, Lakers may go to 9th seed and play lottery
Baby Wawa
is there anything this cat doesn’t doesn’t bitc# about?
Lebron now cries more than Durant and they says something.. so over this drama Queen
Lmao not the biggest James fan I respect him but come on you weren’t speaking on this until you were put in the situation smh
He’s complaining because the Lakers would probably lose the play-in game. Since he returned (along with AD), they’ve lost both games against teams 10+ games below .500. Lakers are extremely overrated.
While I like the play in idea.. I don’t like the format.. 7 and 8 play and 9 and 10 play.. winner of 7 and 8 will be 7 seed.. loser of 7 and 8 plays winner of 9 and 10.. winner of that game is 8 seed.. seed 7 should be playing 10 seed best of 3 and 8 should be playing 9 best of 3. The team that has most to lose is 7 seed
This is dumb.
You said it yourself – there is no incentive for being a 7 seed. You get the same odds as the 10th seed (regardless of home-court advantage, which is almost non-existent this age).
The current NBA play-in system looks good. It incentivizes chasing even a lower seed and not to tank. It adds some excitement prior to the playoffs.
Plus it resolves any regular season tied-record (HEAT & BULLS in 2016-2017 season), again best resolved with such a play-in and not tie-breakers.
It gives incentive to be the sixth seed and automatic playoff spot !! If you don’t like it, then turn the 6 seat. That’s all there is to it.
But yes the seven seed has an advantage, they just have to win ONCE and they’re in. The 8 seed can lose the first game and then beat the 9/10 winner, then they’re in. I love this.., it gives two other cities hope and excitement for the playoffs. Just like the baseball wild card. I love it.
Home court advantage most definitely matters, just look at the difference between the home & away records for the Sixers and Jazz.
When you start your point with “dumb” or “stupid”… maybe backtrack and rephrase your point as a question… (Wasn’t that your urge anyway?).
Like a complaint about grammar will usually contain a grammatical error.
I mean not having incentive to finish #7 IS dumb, but that is not the case. Home court is what a pro league will usually offer as incentive, which is not much it’s true. I like he idea of also using the incentive of spotting the higher seed a game more often.
Talk about one of the biggest cry babies to ever be the face of the league in sports history. Jordan wouldn’t have complained about this he would set out to destroy his competition. Trout has been stuck on the Angels and doesn’t complain. Even McDavid in hockey doesn’t complain like this.
I agree BlackAce.
Lebron apologists in bound “JoRdAn AlSo BuILt SuPeRtEaMs”
Typical privileged LA behavior, feeling like everything is theirs for the taking. It’s no wonder he left a true sports town like Cleveland after delivering them their first championship in over half a century to be with all of his fellow crybaby fans in LA. Never gonna be a true champion for fans to admire like Jordan was, but these kids today still worship him like the golden calf he is.
Oh I love the Bible reference of golden calf. Moses coming down from the mountain top. Love it.
I hear ya w LeBron but lets take a step back on Jordan….Social media would have killed Jordan today as well….
He was a habitual adulterer, gambled with the Chi mob, may have gotten his dad waxed, was not a nice person, treated the media terrible , quit on his team after a 3 peat to go be a joke in baseball, didnt have a glowing personality, was super vain, yelled at teammates (personally Ok w that but the players these days aren’t) , and would probably be considered a misogynist by todays standards
He was lucky to be in the 90’s thats 4 sure !!
Man LeBron; less is more my man !!
Im still a little pissed about the Mark Davis tweets he sent out ……. Raiders have stood up for social justice better than any other sports franchise in all of sports since the 70’s
But thats where we are kinda at in society today, tweet emotions first, logic later
Raiders never cared about social issues just winning and more money. Mark is just like his dad money first anything else last.
Al was recruiting black colleges a decade before any other NFL team set foot in those colleges . Most African Americans credit him more than any other human being for their breakthrough/success into football. Google Al Davis + segregation as you wont take my word most likely
– First Black NFL coach hired
– First Latino NFL coach hired
– First woman CEO hired in NFL
Please don’t make uninformed statements that are demeaning if you don’t have a clue what your talking about.
It does make a difference how much those three were paid. The Paul Brown NFL story fits here but I digress and stop.
100% Paul Brown deserves a shout as well. so I’ll continue here for ya –
Like the Davis family, the Brown family, has gotten a terrible undeserved rep from the commoners who don’t bother digging deeper than surface level
2 true pioneers who did the right thing at a time when no one was looking or caring so ofc its like it almost doesn’t exist these days…..cept it does for those who know the history
Idk not really a fan of it. Just fake buzz to try and get some more revenue to make up for COVID losses.
I would be in favor of extending the season and having two types of AS breaks if it got rid of some of the player resting. 1st one for the real All Stars, 2nd one for the Rook/Soph vs G League All Stars. And the vets can rest that whole 2nd AS week.