NBA playoff format change?

[PhilSimms11]

I'm just throwing out the question. Do you think any changes should be made? Do you like it the way it is? I'll post my idea here in a minute...

 

[bksballer89]

Top 16 teams but more balanced schedule of course

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

Top 16 teams but more balanced schedule of course

* Disregard because this is pretty old, but you get the jist *. I agree.

 

[PhilSimms11]

Play the 1st round the way they always do--1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th in each conference. After that, seed the remaining 8 teams 1-8 and have another 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, etc. Last year's quarterfinals would look like this...

(1)GS (67-15) vs (8)WAS (49-33)
(2)SA (61-21) vs (7)UTA (51-31)
(3)HOU (55-27) vs (6)TOR (51-31)
(4)BOS (53-29) vs (5)CLE (51-31)

You could either lock bracket this or do it the way the NFL does with the highest remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed. If you were to do the lock bracket scenario we could have a GS-CLE semifinal match-up. The Cavs would have to avoid phoning in so many games if they don't want to meet the Warriors before the Finals. Some of you may point out that the travel would be unfair to #1 GS vs #8 WAS. I hear you. However, one plan to alleviate some of that would be to change the schedule. Instead of a 2-2-1-1-1 you could go 2-2-3. This means a 5-2 format advantage for the higher seed instead of the traditional 4-3. I think that's fair. Would that not motivate teams to stop phoning in games during the regular season? With the lock bracket format it'd look like this...

(1)GS (67-15) vs (8)WAS (49-33)
(4)BOS (53-29) vs (5)CLE (51-31)

(2)SA (61-21) vs (7)UTA (51-31)
(3)HOU (55-27) vs (6)TOR (51-31)

 

[Ickey Shuffle]

Play the 1st round the way they always do--1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th in each conference. After that, seed the remaining 8 teams 1-8 and have another 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, etc. Last year's quarterfinals would look like this...

(1)GS (67-15) vs (8)WAS (49-33)
(2)SA (61-21) vs (7)UTA (51-31)
(3)HOU (55-27) vs (6)TOR (51-31)
(4)BOS (53-29) vs (5)CLE (51-31)

You could either lock bracket this or do it the way the NFL does with the highest remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed. If you were to do the lock bracket scenario we could have a GS-CLE semifinal match-up. The Cavs would have to avoid phoning in so many games if they don't want to meet the Warriors before the Finals. Some of you may point out that the travel would be unfair to #1 GS vs #8 WAS. I hear you. However, one plan to alleviate some of that would be to change the schedule. Instead of a 2-2-1-1-1 you could go 2-2-3. This means a 5-2 format advantage for the higher seed instead of the traditional 4-3. I think that's fair. Would that not motivate teams to stop phoning in games during the regular season? With the lock bracket format it'd look like this...

(1)GS (67-15) vs (8)WAS (49-33)
(4)BOS (53-29) vs (5)CLE (51-31)

(2)SA (61-21) vs (7)UTA (51-31)
(3)HOU (55-27) vs (6)TOR (51-31)

I like it. I like it alot.

 

[logic]

You all want this as fans to see the best teams, but it is really about money. While there is such conference imbalance you are going to lose a lot of revenue when there are no east teams remaining.

 

[gordontrue]

If they go top-16 they have to balance the schedule. Play every team 3 times, with the exception of 5 teams you play twice, rotating to a different 5 teams each season.

I do think people would miss the conferences more than they realize, though.

This would really put a damper on playoff rivalries.

 

[PhilSimms11]

2016
(1)GS (73-9) vs (8)POR (44-38)
(2)SA (67-15) vs (7)ATL (48-34)
(3)CLE (57-25) vs (6)MIA (48-34)
(4)TOR (56-26) vs (5)OKC (55-27)

1996
(1)CHI (72-10) vs (8)ATL (46-36)
(2)SEA (64-18) vs (7)NY (47-35)
(3)ORL (60-22) vs (6)HOU (48-34)
(4)SA (59-23) vs (5)UTA (55-27)

 

[tducey]

Have the top 10 teams in each conference make the playoffs but have it be the 7-10 teams in each conference face off in a cross over (7 in E vs. 10 in W and so on) best of 3 series with the winner going onto face #2 in the East.

 

[tlance]

Have the top 10 teams in each conference make the playoffs but have it be the 7-10 teams in each conference face off in a cross over (7 in E vs. 10 in W and so on) best of 3 series with the winner going onto face #2 in the East.

More teams don't need to make the playoffs in the NBA. It is already more than 50% that do, and the vast majority of playoff teams have no shot to contend.

 

[tlance]

Play the 1st round the way they always do--1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th in each conference. After that, seed the remaining 8 teams 1-8 and have another 1st vs 8th, 2nd vs 7th, etc. Last year's quarterfinals would look like this...

(1)GS (67-15) vs (8)WAS (49-33)
(2)SA (61-21) vs (7)UTA (51-31)
(3)HOU (55-27) vs (6)TOR (51-31)
(4)BOS (53-29) vs (5)CLE (51-31)

You could either lock bracket this or do it the way the NFL does with the highest remaining seed playing the lowest remaining seed. If you were to do the lock bracket scenario we could have a GS-CLE semifinal match-up. The Cavs would have to avoid phoning in so many games if they don't want to meet the Warriors before the Finals. Some of you may point out that the travel would be unfair to #1 GS vs #8 WAS. I hear you. However, one plan to alleviate some of that would be to change the schedule. Instead of a 2-2-1-1-1 you could go 2-2-3. This means a 5-2 format advantage for the higher seed instead of the traditional 4-3. I think that's fair. Would that not motivate teams to stop phoning in games during the regular season? With the lock bracket format it'd look like this...

(1)GS (67-15) vs (8)WAS (49-33)
(4)BOS (53-29) vs (5)CLE (51-31)

(2)SA (61-21) vs (7)UTA (51-31)
(3)HOU (55-27) vs (6)TOR (51-31)

I like it too.

Like the 5-2 also, but only if the higher seed has significantly more wins. Like 10 or more.

 

[DJ]

Leave it as is.

 

[wildturkey]

Hunger Games. Each team sends a representative and all 16 fight to the death.

 

[msgkings322]

Hunger Games. Each team sends a representative and all 16 fight to the death.

So if this actually happened, who wins? LeBron maybe has the physical advantage but he's just not mean enough.

Westbrook? Draymond?

Gotta be Swaggy P right?

 

[PhilSimms11]

One thing I love what the NBA did was seed the playoff teams by W-L record. Thank God. Now, if only the NFL would do that.

 

[trojanfan12]

For years, I have been against changing the playoff format. It seemed to be an overreaction to how bad the East is. The East won't always be down like they are now, just like the West didn't stay down like they were in the 90's.

After some more thought and reading other opinions. I think that balancing the schedule and seeding the top 16 according to record might actually be the best way.

It would prevent teams from missing the playoffs because they happen to play in the wrong conference and would automatically adjust to any competitive differences between the conferences.

 

[logic]

For years, I have been against changing the playoff format. It seemed to be an overreaction to how bad the East is. The East won't always be down like they are now, just like the West didn't stay down like they were in the 90's.

After some more thought and reading other opinions. I think that balancing the schedule and seeding the top 16 according to record might actually be the best way.

It would prevent teams from missing the playoffs because they happen to play in the wrong conference and would automatically adjust to any competitive differences between the conferences.

It would also cost the league major revenue when there isn't an East team in the playoffs past the second round. It's already hard during the finals when the games are out west and starting at 10:30 and there is an east team. But more late starts throughout the playoffs mean fewer eyes in major markets seeing games and ads, which is where the big money comes.

 

[trojanfan12]

It would also cost the league major revenue when there isn't an East team in the playoffs past the second round. It's already hard during the finals when the games are out west and starting at 10:30 and there is an east team. But more late starts throughout the playoffs mean fewer eyes in major markets seeing games and ads, which is where the big money comes.

Fair point. Although, I haven't seen any ratings, I wonder how the East fared re: tv ratings last year vs. the West? Many of the East series were all but unwatchable.

They'd probably have to adjust some of the times so that, for example, if an Eastern Conference team is playing a Western Conference team, the games start at about 5 or 5:30 when playing on the Western teams court.

 

[tlance]

So if this actually happened, who wins? LeBron maybe has the physical advantage but he's just not mean enough.

Westbrook? Draymond?

Gotta be Swaggy P right?

Well, If we are being realistic, none of those guys are going. They are sending somebody expendable. That in mind, you need a crazy dude on the end of the bench.

Warriors probably send Matt Barnes. Cavs wave the white flag and send Jose Calderon.

Is Nikola Pekovic still in the NBA? If so, he wins.

 

[CitySushi]

Well, If we are being realistic, none of those guys are going. They are sending somebody expendable. That in mind, you need a crazy dude on the end of the bench.

Warriors probably send Matt Barnes. Cavs wave the white flag and send Jose Calderon.

Is Nikola Pekovic still in the NBA? If so, he wins.

Warriors send Klay. Klay shows up in a party bus, with tons of IG models and weed smoke flowing out from the top. Everyone else conceeds and joins the bus. Klay wins by default. Warriors champions once again.