In-Season Tournament: 5 takeaways as Lakers win inaugural NBA Cup

Race for the NBA Cup, Episode 10: Lakers Reign Supreme

Powered by In-Season Tournament MVP LeBron James and Anthony Davis, L.A. makes history with its victory over Indiana to claim the NBA Cup.

LAS VEGAS — It’s tough finding flowers in the desert this time of year — or any time, honestly — but someone needs to collect a dozen and give them to the NBA. Because this In-Season Tournament worked.

We’ll get into what’s next for this tournament in a minute. But first, the league just signed off on the most fun stretch of November-December hoops anyone can remember, maybe ever. So that’s where we’ll start this Five Takeaways — with the obvious.

1. A boon for regular-season basketball

The In-Season Tournament ended as wishfully as the league could’ve imagined. LeBron James and the legacy Lakers contrasting Tyrese Haliburton and the frisky Pacers in the championship game? Like, what was not to like?

The tournament was a hit because the players bought in from the start. And the finish. When LeBron tossed a lob to Anthony Davis with three minutes left Saturday for a 16-point lead, he flexed and screamed. This meant something to a four-time NBA champion.

Players developed an aggressive mentality about winning … in December? Yes. LeBron was submarined by TJ McConnell with nine minutes left, winced, grabbed his knee … and stayed in the game to win, capture the MVP and print another line on the resume. 

Minutes before, Davis was hit in a sensitive spot … and waved off Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who had a sub ready.

Does either stay in this game this time last season?

Speaking of that, the league had a perception problem before this tournament began — that certain stars load-managed through the early season. So this was done to rectify that perception. Get players balling out like it was spring.

Well, that was done. And it was fun.

2. This was 2020 A.D.

What you saw from Davis looked fantastically familiar, no? This was eerily similar to the dominant Davis of the Bubble Finals, when he won That Other Championship.

“I try to do everything I can to win a basketball game,” he said.

He was, easily, the best player on the floor Saturday, punishing the Pacers in the paint all night, dropping 41 points (16-for-24 shooting) with 20 rebounds and four blocks. He sent Myles Turner to the bench, loaded up with fouls and hurt feelings.

Once again: When Davis is locked and aggressive, there are few big men better in this league at both ends.

Make that locked, aggressive — and healthy.

Maybe his most important moment Saturday was ignoring the pain after getting whacked in the third quarter. The hush inside T-Mobile Arena was the sound of an overwhelmingly Lakers crowd sensing Davis’ night was over.

Actually, his night was just getting started.

LeBron doesn’t win this tournament, certainly not this game, if Davis (a) plays meekly, or (b) limps to the bench. Neither happened.

“We feed off each other,” said Davis. “Thursday, LeBron had it going. Tonight, it was me.”

Nightly Notable: Anthony Davis dominates to lift Lakers to championship

3. Heartbreak for the Heartland

Well, this “Hoosiers” lacked the same inspired ending of the movie. Turns out the rims were indeed too tall for Hickory. 

And yet, what Haliburton said all along was true: “We weren’t supposed to be here, anyway. We were disruptors.”

What the Pacers can take most from this experience is the happy realization that they have a bonafide leader and franchise player. Those types are hard to find. Haliburton proved he’s all that throughout the tournament, producing in big spots and refusing to blink in the big lights.

“Just getting accustomed to that was good for me and makes me want to play some more games that have some meaning to them, so handle the season the right way so I can get to the playoffs and feel that,” he said. 

The Lakers, specifically Cam Reddish, did cause him problems by applying phone-booth defense on him, picking him up at the baseline occasionally and denying him the inbounds pass. Haliburton had three turnovers; he had none the previous two games. 

Still, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle compared him to Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, perhaps the greatest player in franchise history, citing their similar bodies and willingness to gravitate to the moment.

“The future is amazingly bright for him,” said Carlisle.

4. A victory now and a victory later?

Like any ambitious launch, Silver and his point man, Executive VP Evan Wasch, and the players’ union will brainstorm about tweaking this tournament.

The point differential and the colorful courts created the most debate. Those were nitpicks, however.

Silver said: “All suggestions welcomed.”

Here’s one: Incentivize teams even further by allowing the champion to win all tiebreakers — playoffs, the draft, etc., etc.

Finally, it’s somewhat premature to use the word “successful” to even describe a tournament that went over well. That’s because success is defined in most cases, and certainly this one, by cash. 

And this tournament was conceived with money in mind. It was strategically placed at the doorstep of negotiations between the league and media partners, both current and possibly future.

All the media heavy hitters kept a watchful eye on the tournament as they begin budgeting for media rights. 

So … successful? Well, when Silver and the owners ask “who wants to cough up X amount for the In-Season Tournament,” how many bidders swallow hard and raise their hand? That’s when we’ll know. 

Commissioner Adam Silver speaks on a wide range of topics ahead of the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship.

5. What’s next for Lakers, Pacers?

Teams always laced up the sneakers a bit tighter for LeBron and the Lakers, but now Indy will get the same respectful treatment. How will Haliburton and crew, who were just 9-8 a week ago, handle that? 

We’ll definitely see Wednesday with a rematch against the Bucks (Pacers are 2-0 vs. them). Damian Lillard hasn’t forgotten the “Haliburton time” gesture in the last game. All told, the Pacers have an upcoming four-game road trip.

“We have to turn the page quickly,” Carlisle said, “and at the same time we have to remember how this felt.”

The Lakers play six of their next seven on the road (although three are against losing teams). Much like the Pacers, this team was average, record-wise, just a week ago (11-9). Question is whether LeBron will maintain a heavy minutes workload or do the rising Lakers pump the brakes to preserve him?

As for what this might mean for a team built to contend for something bigger?

“We want to put it in perspective that it’s still December,” said LeBron. “We like where we are right now, but we want to continue to work our habits, continue to get healthy as well. 

“I’m definitely not looking to May and June. That’s too far. There’s too many steps that need to be taken still in order for our team to be who we want to be once the postseason starts.”

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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