If you guys just watch the games from group stages to the 7 single elimination games, you would get it. The players give more effort, no one is getting rested for load management and if you watched Thursday and tonight it was playoff level basketball in early December. That was a treat and if you say it wasn't, I honestly think you weren't paying attention. If you weren't paying attention then shame on you because it sure beats watching our team flounder in regular season games because we're in the middle of a youth rebuild. It's honestly like the playoffs in November and early December... not the finals but definitely as intense as conference finals. These dudes went all out and when Giannis and Dame lost in the semis they seemed deflated but because there's still more than half of the season left that deflation will serve as motivation. The Lakers will be motivated by the championship. Everyone who was involved in the "elite eight" got a bit of a measuring stick less than halfway through the season and will take that with them.
There really isn't any downside to this and in that way the NBA front office is filled with geniuses for making it happen. They'll tweak it and make it even better but it will be here to stay and fans that are shitting on it today will be talking about how a Finals champions without an IST championship is less than one with it in a few seasons.