The Boston Celtics performed admirably in the new In-Season competition.
They are presently second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the surprising Orlando Magic, and it appears like they will make some noise in the elimination round. Despite their success thus far, Celtics standout Jayson Tatum isn’t a fan of one particular rule: the point differential.
Tatum believes it leads to players disrespecting their opponents by trying to raise the score even in blowout games, which may clearly lead to scuffles (via Celtics on CLNS).
DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls recently took offense when Pascal Siakam attempted a three-pointer late in their loss to the Toronto Raptors, claiming that he should’ve respected the unwritten rules and been respectful to their opponents regardless of the scoreboard or the point differential.
Jayson Tatum spoke about the #NBA's In-Season Tournament:
"The point differential thing, I'm not the biggest fan of it … last Friday where the game was already over and the guys still trying to score, you know, it's all about respecting the game and respecting your opponents."… pic.twitter.com/SyPqPTUNgC
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) November 27, 2023
Of course, it’s difficult to criticize Siakam and the Raptors for doing what the rules require, and the easiest way to avoid this is to not allow your opponent to blow you out in the first place.
It’s a complex position because the players obviously want to do what’s best for their club, and if point difference was important in the regular season, they’d always take the same strategy, regardless of the codes or unwritten laws.
Nonetheless, the In-Season Tournament has been entertaining to watch, at least early on, and the Commissioner deserves credit for this little change to the regular season.
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