The NBA Cup is still pretty new, and basketball fans want to know why they should care.
The league took a page out of the European soccer playbook when it implemented the in-season tournament to try and make games in the first half of the season matter more.
Has it worked? It's tough to say exactly.
But at this point, the NBA Cup isn't going anywhere, even if it might get some format changes down the road.
One detail is important, though. These aren't just entirely standalone games.
Do NBA Cup games count as regular season games?
Yes, with one exception.
NBA Cup games in the group stage, the quarterfinal round and the semifinal round all count as regular season games.
That means that teams who don't make the quarterfinal or semifinal actually have a couple new games added to their schedule to make sure everyone plays the same 82 games.
The only exception is the NBA Cup championship game. That doesn't count as a regular season game.
Players are just playing that title to hoist a trophy, and for some serious prize money.
MORE: Explaining how NBA Cup prize money works