My point is this: I wouldn't care about the situation you described at all if it was just for a couple of years. That's just a blip on the radar. But, with the current system, it's not just a couple years because the very fact those losing teams make it into the playoffs increases their chances that they will continue being losing teams because it is considerably more difficult for them to improve via the draft. So yeah, I could give a damn less if the Mavericks don't make it into the playoffs in the Western Conference while Atlanta slips into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, I just want them to figure out something that can bring some parity back to the Conferences, and resolving how it affects the draft seems the easiest way to me. Somehow, someway, they have to figure this out.
the main problem with "best records should make the playoffs" is that it might not insure that the best teams make it due to the difference between east and west strength of schedule. if you got to play the wiz, hawks, cats, and heat 4 times a year, and only had to play the western powers twice, you might have a better record than if you had to play the spurs, hornets, mavs, and rockets 4 times a year and only got to play the east teams twice. so for a real fair playoff seeding you need to play each team 3 times a year which would erase division and regional rivalries. it's only an extra 3 games a year, which could come out of the preseason games...i believe there are too many of those anyway. plus, it's a small price to pay for an even strength of schedule. then playoff seeding will be determined by the 16 best records.
A lot of make good posts. I just wanted to point out that this year is an anomaly in reference to the West being overly superior to the East. Yes, the West has been better than East fairly consistently over the past 5 years or so. But you never know how things will happen. Look at the 1996-97 season, there was a similar disparity but reversed. Even crazier, most of the young star players of the time were in the East with G. Hill, T. McGrady (coming in that draft), S. O'Neal, P. Hardaway, D. Stoudamire, and AI. Then Duncan went to the Spurs who subsequently dominated, Jordan left, some of those stars got injured and never became truly great, and the rest got traded to the West. Everything then switched You never know what will happen, or when it will happen.
Boston is 25-5 against the west, including 13 wins against the nine teams fighting for a playoff spot. That's a higher winning percentage than they have against the East.
The only change I want to see is to remove divisional leaders getting a top 4 seed. Just have divisional leaders get an automatic playoff birth and sort the rest out by records. No need to overcomplicate things especially since conference domination usually happens in cycles.
Make it twice. Less games. Each game becomes more important. Make the first round of playoffs go back to 5 games.
ideally that would work for fans, but that would be awful for the nba. while the shorter season means more importance for each game and less chance of injury (great for rockets fans), it also means much less money for owners and the league...the very reason for extending the first round to best of 7.
how about this: the 3 worst records to make the playoffs must first win a 'play-in' game against the 3 best records not to make the playoffs, regardless of conference. as it stands this year (if the season ended today): the warriors would face the hawks, the blazers would face the sixers, and the kings would face the raptors.
