Why Not Let Top Seeds Chose Playoff Opponent?

[gordontrue]

Why not let the top seeds in each conference choose their first round opponent?

The #1 seed gets to pick any of the other 7 playoff teams as its first round opponent. The next highest remaining seed (#2 assuming #1 didn't pick them) then chooses from whose left. Then the next highest remaining seed chooses. Then the last 2 teams obviously play each other. (For the 2nd round, the top remaining seed would get to chose conf semifinal matchups).

Benefits I see:

1) It gets rid of the problem of really good teams getting low seeds due to injury trouble (Like the Thunder this year). Is it really fair for GSW to potentially face OKC first after winning more games than anyone?

2) It would get rid of playoff tanking. You know... when the #2 seed looks to have a more favorable path then the #1 seed... so you end up with the top 2 teams both trying to slide down to the 2 seed.

3) Regular season games would mean more than they do now. The seeding becomes more meaningful and exciting. More impactful playoff races.

4) It would add DRAMA and intrigue. Who is that team going to chose? Who are they afraid of, who do they not respect? Who do they matchup best against? The chosen teams would have a chip on their shoulder and be fired up about proving that they picked the wrong opponent.

Whatdya think?

 

[logic]

Plus all the internal team drama. Who gets to make the call: coach, gm, owner? What does it mean for whom when they lose against the team they picked? Is the gm losing his job for choosing the wrong opponent?

Plus, it could lead to some serious grudges between teams.

 

[gordontrue]

Plus all the internal team drama. Who gets to make the call: coach, gm, owner? What does it mean for whom when they lose against the team they picked? Is the gm losing his job for choosing the wrong opponent?

Plus, it could lead to some serious grudges between teams.

 

[podsox]

actually like this idea a lot

 

[elijah]

Great idea, but I think it could be better with some fine tuning (as could everything though).

Would probably lead to some very intense rivalries and heated Conference Championship series

 

[Tharvot]

I like the new commissioner's idea of taking the top teams overall. ANything to mix things up works for me.

 

[tducey]

No thank you. If anything the NBA playoff format should be the top 16 teams overall in the playoffs.

 

[logic]

I like the new commissioner's idea of taking the top teams overall. ANything to mix things up works for me.

It doesn't have to be either/or, you can have your cake and eat it too. Top 16 overall (though I actually like the 8 from each conference, and it doesn't really make a difference since almost no one under a 3 seed ever wins--look up the stats) AND you choose your opponent going from #1 down.

The #1 team thinks that team at #13 from the East has an inflated record compared to the #14, 15, 16 seeds that are from the tougher West? We get a #1 vs #13 in the first round and a decade of hate when they beat them.

 

[OregonDucks]

It is a good idea. And decision should come from coach as he would know who his team matches up with best.

 

[logic]

There would have been no way in hell that Dallas as the #1 seed would have chosen #8 Golden State in 2007, the year they upset them. That was a bad match up all year long and Nelly knew every Mavericks weakness and how to exploit it. It would have been a true advantage for Dallas to be #1 if they could have avoided that nightmare as GS wasn't beating any other playoff team that year.

 

[trojanfan12]

No thank you. If anything the NBA playoff format should be the top 16 teams overall in the playoffs.

^^^THIS^^^

 

[Clayton]

This would be awesome. Trash talking would go up 1000%

 

[purguy12]

I like this idea. The only thing that it might really motivate the team that they pick. Overall not a bad idea.

 

[broncosmitty]

This would make for some seriously heated first round battles.

And a shit ton of incentive for going at it for the best overall record.

 

[bksballer89]

Can you send this to Silver please?

Signed
EVERY NBA FAN IN THE WORLD

 

[logic]

No thank you. If anything the NBA playoff format should be the top 16 teams overall in the playoffs.

^^^THIS^^^

As I stated above, no reason it can't be both. Top 16 AND choose your matchup starting with the #1 seed and going down.

 

[thunderc]

No offense, but that is bat shit crazy.

 

[thunderc]

And when I say no offense, I'm not talking about the Lakers.

 

[trojanfan12]

As I stated above, no reason it can't be both. Top 16 AND choose your matchup starting with the #1 seed and going down.

Yeah, I don't like the top seed picking their opponent. I guess maybe I prefer the "luck of the draw."

I agree that it sucks that we could see GSW finish with the #1 or #2 seed in the West only to stand a very good chance of being eliminated in the 1st round if the Thunder are the #7 or #8 seed, but that's how it works sometimes.

Injuries are part of the game and I don't like the idea of a team getting to choose to avoid a team in the earlier rounds just because they wouldn't normally have to face them if that team didn't have injuries that caused them to be seeded lower.

Using the Warriors/Thunder example, if the Warriors want to make it to the finals, they're going to have to either beat the Thunder or beat a team that was good enough to beat the Thunder anyway.

 

[logic]

While it is fun to play with these ideas and imagine the consequences, I am actually for keeping the playoffs as they are. I'm not even for just taking the top 16; I like the East/West. Not that it would make a difference if you got two more from the West and two fewer from the East: no one lower than a 6 seed has ever won it all, and only two teams lower than a three seed have won.