http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ba...ch-picks-his-playoff-opponents-?urn=nba-wp912 So... I had this idea that the NBA would be more exciting if each of the highest seeded team gets to pick their first round opponent (in the order of seeds) instead of doing the 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5 thing. Then I found out this is what they are doing in the D-League already (confirming that I am a derivative person, not an original one ). Anyway, given that the NBA uses the D-League as kind of a laboratory of ideas, maybe this one will come to the NBA. This format make sense since it eliminates any incentive for a team to possibly tank for an favorable matchup and reason for fans of a team to root for that team to lose. Also, it makes for a more exciting first round since the hand-picked opponent would have some reason to be insulted. What do you think?
Basketball is all about matchups, so I think this would be bad for the game. When the top teams can pick and choose their ideal opponent, makes for less intriguing matchups in the playoffs. Theoretically, would make for a "more exciting" end of the regular season, but a "less exciting" playoffs.
Not clear how it would work. Does the opponent picked by the #1 team become the #8 seed despite their record? Would that opponent go on (if they were to win) to play the #4 team, or would you choose opponents again for the second round? I think it'd reward late season play for the lower seeds. If you end the season on a down note but end up #5, you'll get picked by and eliminated by the best team, even though you had a fighting chance against #4. Or a hard-charging team like Memphis that ends #8 could skip facing the Spurs and Lakers because their recent play is more fearsome that the Hornets' or Blazers'. So, even though they're #8, they've got an easier path to advancement than a team who has succeeded more in the regular season.
Do the top teams really need more advantages? If you are the best team in the league then you shouldn't have to worry about first round match-ups at all. *waits for someone to say Mavs-Warriors*
