3 Ways the NBA In-Season Tournament Impacts the Spurs Next Season

The league introduced their brand new In-Season Tournament during the inaugural NBA Con at Las Vegas Summer League. This new tournament will shake up the format of the traditional schedule as the association looks to generate more interest in the first half of the regular season.

Akin to European soccer tournaments like the Champions League, the In-Season Tournament will split each conference into three groups of five teams. These teams will play games against each other that count toward their group record. The team with the best record in each group, as well as one wild card from each conference, will advance to the single-game elimination tournament. The semifinals and finals will be in Las Vegas, with players on the championship team winning $500,000 in prize money.

With the format set and the groups drawn, how will this impact the Spurs this upcoming season?

1.) New Conference Rivalries

The NBA announced the groups when they unveiled the In-Season Tournament, with the San Antonio Spurs joining the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder in West C for the group stage. None of these teams are in the Southwest Division, giving the Silver and Black a golden opportunity to forge new rivalries within their conference.

As part of the group stage, the Spurs will play each of these teams once. They will host the Kings and Timberwolves and visit the Thunder and Warriors. Last season, San Antonio went 3-11 against these teams, and they will have to step up if they want to advance to the knockout round of the tournament. But with major additions to their roster, this will be first major test for the new-look Spurs.

2.) High-Intensity Basketball

With every group stage game counting toward tournament qualification, expect some high-intensity basketball. It's not clear how much players will be invested in this tournament, but it's hard to see any of them passing on the opportunity to earn a half-million dollar bonus. These matchups could have a similar atmosphere as playoff basketball.

With the Spurs missing the playoffs for the last four seasons, a taste of playoff basketball could be a significant motivator for the roster to put their best foot forward in the In-Season Tournament. Only a handful of San Antonio's current players have any playoff experience, and this could be their chance to play meaningful games.

This tournament will also be one of the first real tests for Victor Wembanyama. While he had regular-season success and playoff experience with Metropolitans 92, this will give him a better idea of the high-intensity competition the league can produce. The first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has been under the microscope, and everyone will be watching how he responds to this challenge.

3.) Early-Season Momentum

While the NBA is using the In-Season Tournament to spice up the regular-season action, it could also give teams some early momentum. A young squad like San Antonio could use that to their advantage. As a team of unknowns and still-developing athletes, the Spurs have the potential to make waves and seize momentum to put toward the rest of their season.

There will still be questions heading into the group stage for the Silver and Black, but this type of play could help them configure lineups and rotations while showcasing offseason development. The front office might also learn how Wembanyama adapts to the NBA, how Jeremy Sochan has developed his jump shot, and if Devin Vassell is ready to make another leap.

The high-level action of the In-Season Tournament will help the organization see where they are in the rebuilding process. Even if the Spurs struggle, every up and down will help them figure out what areas of the roster must be to addressed. Regardless of their results, this event will be tremendously helpful in evaluating how they must build around Wembanyama going forward.

The NBA has yet to announce their regular-season schedule, but the inaugural In-Season Tournament will take place from November 3rd through November 28th. Each group-stage game will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. The regular season will start in late October.

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