Wizards tip off the In-Season Tournament vs. the struggling Miami Heat

The NBA is trying new initiatives to generate excitement for the 82-game regular season. Their latest addition, the In-Season Tournament, begins today with seven games, including the Washington Wizards versus the Miami Heat at 8 pm EST. The tournament has two stages: group play and knockout rounds. 30 teams are divided into 6 groups of 5 teams. Each team will play all four teams in their group. The group winner and one wildcard team will advance to the quarter-finals. In the group stage, the Washington Wizards will compete in Group B East against Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, and Milwaukee Bucks. While the Wizards winning the group is unlikely, it is a great chance for them to showcase their talent against top opponents. The Wizards need a boost to restart their season, with in-season tournament play as a main goal. A young team like Washington may not make the playoffs, but they have a chance to play and win the new NBA Cup. Monetary incentives are available for players on losing teams in the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and championship, and even higher for players on the winning team. These incentives are beneficial for a team with many players on rookie contracts like the Wizards. They can motivate to regain the competitive spirit. Wizards faced Miami Heat at a perfect time. Miami is 1-4 with their key players Butler and Adebayo frequently absent. Butler is day-to-day, but given his recent game against the Nets, he will probably play tonight. However, they haven’t found the right rotation or team chemistry necessary for their successful run to last season’s Finals.