Should the playoff format be changed to the TOP 16 OVERALL regardless of conference?

Basically

 

Conferences are more for scheduling anyway - cutting down on travel.

But I am opposed to reformatting across conferences. For one thing, it would mess up a lot of historic rivalary and the Finals is nice to have a team from the West play the East.

 

It's hard to cut down on teams ability to make the playoffs but these days it does seem that the first round tends to be pointless in most cases and some bad teams make it. I would somehow like to see good teams over the season get rewarded better than just home court over a team with a poorer record. Perhaps cutting it 6 teams and the top 2 get a pass to the conference semi finals?

 

I know this is a hypothetical thought, but I voted NO. We would be the only sport that did it that way of all the major sports. You would have to do away with conferences and for that matter, divisions. You would have to change the scheduling for the regular season. It would be UNFAIR for a team to win their division by beating a team on another coast 4 times instead of playing and beating teams within their own division.

If you change it and leave everything the same conference and division wise, teams like the Rockets and Thunder would scream bloody murder becuase we have to play the Lakers and Spus 3 or 4 times while other teams get to play the Bucks and Nets four times and get in.

 

The big reason not to do this is basically "maintaining the historic format".

I think it would create a increase in interest and make the playoffs more competitive.

although it could be to hard in terms of logistics with the travelling and all.

 

You could leave the conferences for All-Star games and etc, but I think this is a great idea. Obviously the schedules would have to be changed up so that the east and west play each other an even amount of times as opposed to how it is now. If you really think about it, wouldn't you want to see the TRUE top 16 teams playing, instead of seeing a Celtics vs Bucks slaughter?

Also, from the NBA's standpoint this could increase revenue since games in the first round would probably go more than 4 or 5 games because the talent level would be higher.

 

They should not do what the thread is asking, but they should get rid of the divisions because they are meaningless. Either that or have a real unbalanced schedule where you play the teams in your division a lot more, like in baseball.

 

Yea, I don't think that's the case.

 

This would only make sense if you had every team play every other team the same #times. Otherwise records & seeding are still skewed.

I think the season is way too long and propose a 58 game season, where every team plays every other team twice. No back to back games. Top 8 teams make the playoffs. This way hopefully the best teams make it in relative health.

 

Making a season 58 games with each team playing every other team once on the road and once at home would make the schedule as fair as possible but I am completely opposed to that. How would you compare players from a few years ago to todays players? The stats would be messed up. When F-1 changed its scoring system to its present format, I lost all interest. But maybe that's just me.

 

The NBA is cyclical.

Currrently (and for the past decade i suppose) the West has been the stronger conference. However, I think it is safe to assume that the balance in power will eventually switch over to the East.

So if and when this does happen, and lets say Houston is in the 8th seed with a losing record, would you want the top 16 team rule? or would you like to watch the rockets play in the playoffs?

 

Better idea: in the first round of the playoffs, West #1 plays East #8, West #2 plays East #7 and so on.

 

Getting rid of conferences wouldn't be a terrible idea. Just have six divisions and seed away. The biggest reason the NBA wouldn't do this is the same reason they expanded divisions out to six: they love giving the fans make-believe championships: Southwest Conference Champs! Eastern Conference Champs! Gives the fans a feeling of success, which equals more tickets sold. They also want to foster rivalries, which hasn't worked so great.

It would never happen, but it would be fun to throw the conferences and divisions out the window. Play every team 3 times (alternate home/away each year for the third game)(also, boot out one team so you'd have an even 84 game schedule).

Seed up the top 16 and have at it. I'd rather the super lightning round that includes nearly every team, but that's a different topic.

 

Just add two more team in each conference and go with that a 5 game first round system.

 

I think the NBA needs to get rid of the Lottery and stop rewarding bad teams and instead reward good teams. No matter how bad a team is, they should be playing to win. This is what I propose,

The number one seeds in each conference automatically win the conference. Then you follow the same format in playoffs but instead play the respective seed of the other conference. The Finals would be played with the two best teams left standing, regardless of Conference.

1.EAST vs. 8.WEST
2.EAST vs. 7.WEST
3.EAST vs. 6.WEST
4.EAST vs. 5.WEST
5.EAST vs. 4.WEST
6.EAST vs. 3.WEST
7.EAST vs. 2.WEST
8.EAST vs. 1.WEST

Draft order determined for teams not qualified for playoffs, would be best team wins number 1 pick.
Teams will no longer benefit for tanking or trading away players. Instead the motivation would be to make playoffs or finish close enough for a high pick.
Some might think this isn't fair but it opens the door for all teams to be competitve. If a strong team misses the playoffs and has the number 1 pick they could flip the pick for a proven player.

 

Top 16 rule

It's so American to look down on a team like the Golden State of a few years past who only managed 48 wins - what a loser perennial lottery team

Playoffs should be the best teams regardless of 'cycles'.

 

Could be just you?

How do you compare stats today with the period of no shot clock? More possessions etc means a completely different take.

And it wouldn't HAVE to be a 58 game season - could be everyone home and away, then another 24 games rotated over a period of years? (ie play everyone in those 24 games equal times over a number of years).

 

Like it was done between 1975 and 1983 in the league?

 

Revenue's aside, this is what I would do if dictator sperm died and made me king:

- Decrease the number of games to 45 (that would mean every team plays teams of the same conference twice and once for opposite conference teams).
- Have only the top 4 from each conference advance to the playoffs, which would give more meaning for a team that makes it to the post season.
- Have playoff games be the best of 3.
- The finals will only consist of 1 game, played in another city (like the Superbowl)

 

I think we should have a ceossover rule, like they have in the CFL where if the 8th team in the conference has a worse record then the 9th in the other conference, then the 9th team takes the other team's spot. Travel isn't really a big deal, considering teams fly and there's one day in between games.