How the 2020 playoffs should be played

msgkings322 · Apr 6, 2020

Robotech said:
I want to see the NBA give us an ending. I think they should only have 8 teams in the playoffs. Best of 7 series throughout. It's wrong anyway that American pro sports leagues allow so many teams into the playoffs.

Did you see the NFL just expanded to 14 playoff teams?

Robotech · Apr 6, 2020

msgkings322 said:
Did you see the NFL just expanded to 14 playoff teams?

Yeah, it's stupid, IMO, but I know it's all about the money. Being focused on money has a way of taking away from the integrity of a sport. It's wrong that nearly half (NFL) or more than half (NBA) of teams should have a chance at the title in the playoffs.

trojanfan12 · Apr 7, 2020

Robotech said:
Yeah, it's stupid, IMO, but I know it's all about the money. Being focused on money has a way of taking away from the integrity of a sport. It's wrong that nearly half (NFL) or more than half (NBA) of teams should have a chance at the title in the playoffs.

Agree 100% that it's about the money.

Having said that, they're also giving fans what they are showing they want.

It's not like early playoff games between #1 and #8 seeds are played in empty arenas or not being watched on tv.

dtgold88 · Apr 7, 2020

bksballer89 said:
Yep. I'm ok with all best of 5 series but yeah I would prefer the season get canceled before we go to a week and half of a 16 team march madness type style tournament.

I would even be willing to accept the first round being best of 3 and the rest being best of 5.

I think all best of 3 then Finals 5 games would be better than nothing.

@tlance made good points on why not NCAA style (and I'm sure others were aware of his points). While I prefer it and would watch it over nothing, I get the legacy aspects/concerns as far as a winner of such a tourney.

dtgold88 · Apr 7, 2020

Robotech said:
Yeah, it's stupid, IMO, but I know it's all about the money. Being focused on money has a way of taking away from the integrity of a sport. It's wrong that nearly half (NFL) or more than half (NBA) of teams should have a chance at the title in the playoffs.

Pretty much the same % of teams we had for a while pre 1995 when 12 of 28 teams made the playoffs.

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

trojanfan12 said:
Agree 100% that it's about the money.

Having said that, they're also giving fans what they are showing they want.

It's not like early playoff games between #1 and #8 seeds are played in empty arenas or not being watched on tv.

Yeah, it makes money, so we're stuck with it. I just believe that playoffs should be for the best teams to prove who is really the best. Giving teams that only won roughly half their regular season games a chance at the championship really kinda stinks. Fortunately, such a team winning the title rarely happens in the NBA. It's more of an issue in other sports.

tlance · Apr 7, 2020

Robotech said:
Yeah, it makes money, so we're stuck with it. I just believe that playoffs should be for the best teams to prove who is really the best. Giving teams that only won roughly half their regular season games a chance at the championship really kinda stinks. Fortunately, such a team winning the title rarely happens in the NBA. It's more of an issue in other sports.

I mean it still is that.

Because of the format.

The teams that eke into the playoffs aren’t winning a 7 game series unless they:

1) drastically underachieved for some reason
2) the top team really isn’t that good

trojanfan12 · Apr 7, 2020

Robotech said:
Yeah, it makes money, so we're stuck with it. I just believe that playoffs should be for the best teams to prove who is really the best. Giving teams that only won roughly half their regular season games a chance at the championship really kinda stinks. Fortunately, such a team winning the title rarely happens in the NBA. It's more of an issue in other sports.

True. On the other hand, what if a team is a low seed because of injury?

Example, what if the Warriors could have gotten Steph and Klay back in time to get a 7th or 8th seed? I would not want to see my Lakers having to deal with that in the 1st round.

End of the day, as we both agree, it's makes money, so it's not going away.

Addicts like those of us who post here would, for the most part, prefer to limit it to maybe just the top 8-12 teams. In part because we're not satisfied just to see our teams make the playoffs or at least be in the hunt.

But the NBA knows they're going to have us year round. More casual fans start to lose interest as their teams playoff chances decrease and there are more of them than there are of us. lol

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

tlance said:
I mean it still is that.

Because of the format.

The teams that eke into the playoffs aren’t winning a 7 game series unless they:

1) drastically underachieved for some reason
2) the top team really isn’t that good

Yeah, those teams never win the title, so why do we even include them in the playoffs? Just for the money, I guess. And I hate how they stretch out those first round series with off days, but again, it increases their profits, so it is a necessary thing, I guess.

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

trojanfan12 said:
True. On the other hand, what if a team is a low seed because of injury?

Example, what if the Warriors could have gotten Steph and Klay back in time to get a 7th or 8th seed? I would not want to see my Lakers having to deal with that in the 1st round.

End of the day, as we both agree, it's makes money, so it's not going away.

Addicts like those of us who post here would, for the most part, prefer to limit it to maybe just the top 8-12 teams. In part because we're not satisfied just to see our teams make the playoffs or at least be in the hunt.

But the NBA knows they're going to have us year round. More casual fans start to lose interest as their teams playoff chances decrease and there are more of them than there are of us. lol

It would be crap for the Warriors to win that way, but a win's a win. LOL.

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

dtgold88 said:
Pretty much the same % of teams we had for a while pre 1995 when 12 of 28 teams made the playoffs.

Yeah, true. The good thing about the NFL is the first round bye for the top teams. If you're an excellent team and have that bye, you know that you'll be down to a field of 8 when you play your first playoff game. If we think of that as the real playoff field (8 of 32 teams), then it's pretty reasonable.

msgkings322 · Apr 7, 2020

Robotech said:
Yeah, true. The good thing about the NFL is the first round bye for the top teams. If you're an excellent team and have that bye, you know that you'll be down to a field of 8 when you play your first playoff game. If we think of that as the real playoff field (8 of 32 teams), then it's pretty reasonable.

Under the new NFL playoff rules, only the top seed in each conference gets a first round bye. The other 3 division winners play the 3 wild cards

dtgold88 · Apr 7, 2020

msgkings322 said:
Under the new NFL playoff rules, only the top seed in each conference gets a first round bye. The other 3 division winners play the 3 wild cards

Think he was talking about the top team in each conf. when he said "top teams".

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

dtgold88 said:
Think he was talking about the top team in each conf. when he said "top teams".

LOL. I didn't know about that change, but that's fine with me that it's just the top team in each conference that gets the bye. It's a good thing that finishing 1st in the conference gets that significant benefit. Playoff systems that let a large number of teams in gives even mediocre teams a chance at the title, so it's a good counterbalance to give the very top teams a special edge besides just home field advantage.

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

tlance said:
I do honestly think single elimination is worse than nothing.

Banners fly forever. And the NBA has a process that ensures championships are well earned.

Implementing a system that would require a total of 4 victories and minimal opportunity for the coaching adjustments that make playoff basketball so intriguing flies in the face of everything the NBA is about.

And if somebody like the Rockets or the Sixers or the Jazz were to somehow get hot and win it, it would feel like stealing. And I am sure that most hardcore fans would absolutely hate that.

Hell, even if a front runner like the Lakers, Bucks or Clippers won, would that help anybody’s legacy? I don’t see how it logically could.

Either give us some type of series (ideally at least 5 games), or cancel.

Just get rid of what would've been the first round. Those bottom teams don't deserve to win anyway. Three rounds of best of 7.

Robotech · Apr 7, 2020

It would be harsh for the Rockets and Thunder to be kept out of the playoffs, but these are extraordinary times. However, we all should agree that we don't need to see the Nets and Magic in the playoffs.

bksballer89 · Apr 7, 2020

Robotech said:
Just get rid of what would've been the first round. Those bottom teams don't deserve to win anyway. Three rounds of best of 7.

So you're going to eliminate the Sixers, Pacers, Thunder, & Rockets?

msgkings322 · Apr 7, 2020

bksballer89 said:
So you're going to eliminate the Sixers, Pacers, Thunder, & Rockets?

Actually you would be eliminating 8 teams, seeds 5-8 , if you want just 3 rounds

bksballer89 · Apr 7, 2020

msgkings322 said:
Actually you would be eliminating 8 teams, seeds 5-8 , if you want just 3 rounds

Those teams are in that 5-8 range

msgkings322 · Apr 7, 2020

bksballer89 said:
Those teams are in that 5-8 range

Oh yeah I know I just was making it clear to Robotech

Seems drastic but then again, better than some other ideas

How the 2020 playoffs should be played

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