Playoffs Broken!

[devilalum]

This has gone on long enough. 10 years ago Stern said there was no need for concern that the situation would balance itself out but here we are and it is still ridiculous that 4-6 horrible eastern conference teams get into the playoffs every year and 2-3 good western teams get left out.

Here is my idea to fix this once and for all.

The 6 division winners get in no matter what. This insures regional representation. It also places greater emphasis on division matchups. The remaining 10 playoff teams are chosen based on record. Most years this would put the best 16 teams in the playoffs.

Somebody else can sort out who plays who. I just want to see the best teams in the playoffs.

 

[BC867]

This has gone on long enough. 10 years ago Stern said there was no need for concern that the situation would balance itself out but here we are and it is still ridiculous that 4-6 horrible eastern conference teams get into the playoffs every year and 2-3 good western teams get left out.

Here is my idea to fix this once and for all.

The 6 division winners get in no matter what. This insures regional representation. It also places greater emphasis on division matchups. The remaining 10 playoff teams are chosen based on record. Most years this would put the best 16 teams in the playoffs.

Somebody else can sort out who plays who. I just want to see the best teams in the playoffs.

That plan is moving in the right direction, but wouldn't it still favor teams from the East?

If there are teams equal in skill, the ones from the East would tend to have better records because they play more of their games against weaker teams from the East.

 

[devilalum]

That plan is moving in the right direction, but wouldn't it still favor teams from the East?

If there are teams equal in skill, the ones from the East would tend to have better records because they play more of their games against weaker teams from the East.

I thought of that too but addressing that issue is a lot more complicated. (travel) Baseball has the same issue. If you play in a weak division you can rack up a lot of wins with less effort.

If the playoffs started today using my idea you'd have 10 west and 6 east teams. That seems fair. Create seeds 1-16 and off you go.

 

[Mainstreet]

This has gone on long enough. 10 years ago Stern said there was no need for concern that the situation would balance itself out but here we are and it is still ridiculous that 4-6 horrible eastern conference teams get into the playoffs every year and 2-3 good western teams get left out.

Here is my idea to fix this once and for all.

The 6 division winners get in no matter what. This insures regional representation. It also places greater emphasis on division matchups. The remaining 10 playoff teams are chosen based on record. Most years this would put the best 16 teams in the playoffs.

Somebody else can sort out who plays who. I just want to see the best teams in the playoffs.

Sadly the playoff system will likely not change. The same with the lottery format. I'd like to see those deadbeat NBA teams bent on losing not rewarded.

 

[frankeegee1]

let the division winners play. Do away with all the rest.

 

[AzStevenCal]

let the division winners play. Do away with all the rest.

The Playoffs are a money machine. This would break that machine. Personally, I don't think the system is all that broken. I'd leave it the way it is until I perfect my transporter at which point I'd do away with divisions. Add some international teams to bring the league up to 42 teams and then play each team twice.

Steve

 

[Ronin]

I would like to see the first round go back to best of 5 series. So much more exciting that way.imo

 

[slinslin]

I would just get rid off conference completely and have teams play each other 3 times resulting in a longer regular season ( 87 games instead of 82 ) and cut preseason in exchange.

You would play one half of the teams twice at home one year and the other half twice at home the next year.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I would just get rid off conference completely and have teams play each other 3 times resulting in a longer regular season ( 87 games instead of 82 ) and cut preseason in exchange.

You would play one half of the teams twice at home one year and the other half twice at home the next year.

Which equals more travel, more time away from home, less practice time, more wear and tear on the athletes and an increase in travel expense and that's even before you consider the 5 extra games. They need the preseason even if they dump the actual preseason games and it is in no way close to making up for even one game let alone all you suggest.

The league went to divisional play for the very reasons I listed, nothing has changed in that regard as far as I can tell. If they do anything major I suspect they'd cut out the preseason games, reduce the regular season by a few games and add two more playoff teams so that teams 7 - 10 can have a play-in round for the final 2 spots. Whatever they do, they are unlikely to either raise expenses or reduce revenues.

Steve

 

[FArting]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...k-at-possibly-changing-nba-playoff-structure/

“You [Fitzgerald] have had a proposal … where the division winners would all automatically go into the playoffs and then you’d seed the next 10 best teams. I think that’s the kind of proposal we need to look at. There are travel issues, of course, but in this day and age every team, of course, has their own plane, travels charter.

 

[FArting]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-could-alter-schedule-no-change-playoffs-lottery-183815838--nba.html

 

[chickenhead]

I think going back to four divisions makes sense (especially if the NBA expands to 32). An unbalanced schedule would help mitigate western teams' travel more with a large division. Give the division winners the top two seeds in each conference: then the division championship would mean something, both functionally and sentimentally.

Then seed #2 through #8 by record. I'd prefer a crossover format for the final seeds if need be, rather than seeding the whole league 1-16. Of course, if you do that you'd have to account for it in the lottery to avoid an even worse tanking scenario.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't care how they slice it, but the best 16 teams according to record should be in the playoffs.

 

[Covert Rain]

I don't care how they slice it, but the best 16 teams according to record should be in the playoffs.

This. Although personally I wouldn't mind division winners and then best record. Either way, the current system sucks.

 

[WildBB]

Sadly the playoff system will likely not change. The same with the lottery format. I'd like to see those deadbeat NBA teams bent on losing not rewarded.

Sadly the NBA and NHL still insist on 16 teams in the playoffs.

It's all for revenue. 12 should be the max. The bottom 4 really didn't earn spots.

More emphasis on the regular season schedule.

On the lottery make it the bottom 5-6 teams have equal chances to win the first pick. After that you go on record only?

 

[mojorizen7]

Sadly the NBA and NHL still insist on 16 teams in the playoffs.

It's all for revenue. 12 should be the max. The bottom 4 really didn't earn spots.

More emphasis on the regular season schedule.

I agree with this.

On the lottery make it the bottom 5-6 teams have equal chances to win the first pick. After that you go on record only?

I think the lottery is a farce and needs to go away. It was invented by Dirty Stern anyway.

Just adopt the NFL's straightforward method of final W/L record and strength of schedule as tie breaker for all teams. Eliminate the agenda based BS.

 

[Mainstreet]

I've grown to like the idea of letting every team pick #1 every 30 years as it rotates. The Suns have never been able to select #1. We should be at the front of the line.

 

[Covert Rain]

I've grown to like the idea of letting every team pick #1 every 30 years as it rotates. The Suns have never been able to select #1. We should be at the front of the line.

Interesting. Maybe lottery slot the next 9 picks (2-10) and the rest by record.

 

[WildBB]

I agree with this.

I think the lottery is a farce and needs to go away. It was invented by Dirty Stern anyway.

Just adopt the NFL's straightforward method of final W/L record and strength of schedule as tie breaker for all teams. Eliminate the agenda based BS.

Yeah, on the 12 getting in, just put the 6 best from each conference. Then order them in the playoffs best to worst record regardless of conference.

So you might have like Cleveland playing San Antonio in the 1st Rd. You could wind up with an all west or east final. Two best teams regardless.

 

[Mainstreet]

Interesting. Maybe lottery slot the next 9 picks (2-9) and the rest by record.

Something like this. I do not like to reward teams that are continually bad.

 

[BillsCarnage]

Yeah, on the 12 getting in, just put the 6 best from each conference. Then order them in the playoffs best to worst record regardless of conference.

So you might have like Cleveland playing San Antonio in the 1st Rd. You could wind up with an all west or east final. Two best teams regardless.

The problem with 12/6 is that at some point a team or two will have to sit and wait for an opponent. Could you imagine a team sitting for 1-2 weeks?? It has to be divisible by 4 and 2 for leagues that play series'.

12-6-3-?

It works in football because its only one game a week.

 

[WildBB]

The problem with 12/6 is that at some point a team or two will have to sit and wait for an opponent. Could you imagine a team sitting for 1-2 weeks?? It has to be divisible by 4 and 2 for leagues that play series'.

12-6-3-?

It works in football because its only one game a week.

hmm. didn't think of that.

You could do first Rd. byes for the top 4 teams. Then 3 game series initially to see who gets in.

8-8-4-2

But again NBA and NHL, it's about revenue, and keeping the fan bases interested.

It's not the best for competition during the regular season, imo.

 

[FArting]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...f-guarantee-division-winners-adam-silver-says

 

[Mainstreet]

So ESPN news reports:

"First of all, it's never happened before that a division winner did not finish within the top eight, and our basketball analytics folks calculate that there's less than a 5 percent chance that it would happen," he said before taking part in a panel discussion at the Beyond Sport United program.

"So while we're going to continue to discuss it a little bit more -- we need to make a decision before the preseason begins -- I think the greater likelihood is we will not be guaranteeing a spot to a division winner," he said Wednesday.

I need a course in Adam Silver.

Changes need to be made more than about division winners. Like, the whole playoff system needs to be changed.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...f-guarantee-division-winners-adam-silver-says

 

[Phrazbit]

I'm fine with them doing this, but why not extend it to across the conferences? Instead of top 8 regardless of division do top 16 across the league.

The current system not only screws superior West teams out of playoff spots but it screws over these lousy East teams by depriving them of draft positioning to improve their rosters. Its nearly 15 years now that we've seen this gap, its not some random quirk and IMO its not cyclical, its self perpetuating.