How about a system similar to the NFL's first 2 rounds... The seedings stay the same as they are now. 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5. However in the second round, the highest winning seed gets to play the worst seed that won in the first round...the second highest seed gets to play the next worst seed, etc. So, for this year...if Pheonix (1) won, San Antonio (2) won, Sacramento (6) won, and Houston (5) won... Pheonix (1) would play Sacramento (6) San Antonio (2) would play Houston (5) This way, there is even more of a reward for getting a higher seed. The number 1/8 winner doesn't always play the 4/5 winner, and 2/7 doesn't always play 3/6. Of course, the NBA may not like this because it doesn't make for as exciting matchups in the first two rounds.
Divisions mean nothing in the NBA regular season format. Only conferences do. You play the same amount of games against teams in your conference regardless of their divisions. (The current 30-team league makes a little bit difference. You play four non-divisional teams one games less. But that is a very minor difference.) So NBA divisions within the conference are just a way to group teams. It is meaningless, in terms of competition. So I don't see why winning the division should give you any privilege over a team in your conference who has a better record. The current playoff format is unfair, unless they change the regular season format where teams play their divisional rivalries a lot more than other teams in the conference.
