[ESPN] NBA considering re-seeding conference finalists, postseason play-in

I remember that about the Wildcard being instituted in the MLB after the strike. Purists and columnists were mainly saying it was going to water the game down and take away the importance of the regular season. Another ironic thing about it, was Barry Bonds. He said that it was not a good for the game, even though his team a year before won over 100 games and missed the playoffs. Which is one of the main reasons why it was done. Because, that is travesty, that's almost like a 55 or 60 win NBA team/ 12-13 win NFL team missing the playoffs. You don't want great teams missing the playoffs in any capacity, especially when there are inferior teams that make it into tournament.

Everyone proposing to just do a top 16 tournament with no regards to conference is the best way to go. If only two or three teams make it from one conference, I think that's ok. We'd much rather watch Brooklyn or Philadelphia draw the Spurs or Warriors vs. Hornets, Pacers, or Bulls.

 

I seriously doubt that you will ever see Top 16 teams. It will make competitive balance worse, not better. Also, keep in mind that while the West as a conference is better, viewership and thus ad dollars are East Coast centric. You need a NY metro team, DC, Boston, Philly or Chicago, preferably all of them, in the playoffs.

If you only have two teams from the East, say Milwaukee and Miami, make the playoffs, or god forbid, Charlotte or Indiana, the NBA ratings and ad revenue would get killed! The NBA makes it money during the playoffs, not the regular season. League cannot make money with Memphis versus New Orleans or Portland versus Denver.

Finally, no way the Eastern Conference owners would vote for this. I think the play-in tourney was the best Silver could get, and now it looks like that is going away.

 

Lebron feeling the pressure of the full blown Lakers meltdown.

 

But since it determines lottery position too, a 7th seed going into the tourney can tank just two games and get into lottery, that’s just waaaay wrong. In fact, that’s exactly what Portland should do, otherwise they lose their pick to us. Damian won’t let them tank the playin tourney, though. Charlotte should also tank the tourney, likely getting them to 9th or 10th pick

if the playin tourney becomes the norm, with lottery implications, that’s surely to happen in the future.

 

Lakers next 4 games

Nuggets
Clippers
Blazers
Suns

oof

 

Just watched Game 6 of the 02 WCF and reminded the Lakers always got the refs on their side. No biggie.

 

The Phil Jax teams had a swag about them tho.......and yeah they got all the calls.

 

LeBron speaks negatively about a lot NBA initiatives, but he eventually falls in line. We'll see what happens.

 

not really. usually when he speaks things turn in his favor.

 

The common casual fan can't name many players on a team, true. But the common casual fan also isn't tuning in for Dejounte Murray or Miles Bridges. They're moreso tuning in for the Demar Derozan and Lamelo Ball. Which is part of why I think it's good from a business perspective for the NBA.

"Get better as a team and get healthier." Sure. Ok. Why doesn't LeBron just do this instead of complaining about the play-in tourney? Why doesn't Cuban just tell his players like Luka to play better and avoid being seeded 7th-10th? These teams aren't blindsided by suddenly needing to participate in extracurriculars. In fact, why didn't the teams just prepare for this at season's start and play better?

Most of the league have around 8 games left. The Lakers have 8 games left. LeBron and the Lakers should just get better, win all 8 games and avoid the play-in. Duh. Get better as a team and get healthier.

I think the Nuggets are like 9-1 or something, since Murray went down. Why doesn't LeBron just get his team better like Jokic did (in spite of bad health), instead of complaining? Why don't the Lakers just smoke everyone like the defending champions they are? Should be easy, right??

Look, the entire NBA had to adjust to a 72-game schedule and everything else that comes with it. They really can't adjust to a simple play-in tourney? The only people even complaining are the ones that are at risk to play in it (namely, LeBron and Luka / Mark Cuban). Where was the outrage when this was first announced way back in November? Why is it only now that some jimmies are being rustled?

You keep harping on how this tourney rewards losing, when it's only if you WIN that you're getting a playoff spot. If you're a loser, you're out.

I personally think you're making a mountain out of a molehill and getting too worked up about this. If you don't want to watch the play-in or even the first round because you think the top 4 will just stomp the bottom 4, then more power to you. No one is stopping you from not tuning in. If you just want to watch the most competitive basketball, then don't even watch the second round. Just tune into the conference finals and onwards.

It just doesn't seem like the cons outweigh the pros, when talking about a play-in tourney.

 

I really doubt a huge number of people are telling themselves, I have to watch Derozan play. People could barely watch him play in his best days of Toronto, labeling him as a choker/fake star. The spurs are boring and not that good. They are not a playoff team. the media is doing the hype for Lamelo Ball. right now that's all that it is. Run with that in the regular season. But that time is about to be over. Can they be better in the future, sure that's a possibility but right now they'd get demolished in the 1st round and have no business being in the playoffs

The Lakers are getting healthier with Lebron and AD now back. So in that sense yeah they're getting better and healthier. The Lakers played well enough to put themselves in position of losing both AD/Lebron for a significant stretch and are able to get a 5 seed. As far as Dallas, they've dealt with the same issues. Dallas got off to the terrible 1st half of the season and have made up for it and played better to put themselves in the playoffs. And they are definitely a playoff team.

Lebron is mad because it's stupid. And he's right.

Yeah it's rewarding losing. Losers are playing losers. that's the point. When did being a better loser become something to be proud of that should reward you as a playoff team. When in reality you aren't

And I think you're fixated on something that isn't necessary and meaningless, which is why this will be the last year you'll see it.

 

Any examples? The list of his most recent complaints goes like this: he was not a fan of bubble tournament, he did not want to start the season when it started, he did not want to play in the all star game, and now he doesn't like the play-in. He eventually fell in line with all of it.

 

The bubble

 

Lebron James is a self-serving selfish *******.

Only speaks up when he gets affected by things.

 

There was a bit of tongue in cheek in that tweet, IMO. Either way, I had forgotten that he gave the bubble tournament his approval. However, he didn't go against the wishes of the NBA like he is now. The NBA does not listen to him is my point. He could complain all he wants, but he has always fallen in line with the NBA. There won't be anyone getting fired for coming up with this idea.

 

Never said anyone was going to get fired, but I fully expect this play in not to last past this year. And it didn't take Lebron speaking up for me to believe so. This only further solidified it. You can even add Luka/Dallas speaking about it even.

 

Where was this 'mad LeBron' energy at the start of the season? Timing sure is curious as the Lakers are currently 7th in the standings. If the Lakers were in a position where they'd face a team who just came off a play-in tourney win, you think LeBron would complain about how 'stupid' the idea is? Hell no. He'd want his first round opponent to be as tired as possible.

Imagine the Lakers and/or the Mavs end up a 9th or 10th seed, which is a possibility. Reports are that LeBron is even sitting out tonight's game against the Nuggets. Would LeBron/Luka come out and say this play-in tourney format is garbage? No. They'd want to play in the tourney because of the chance to make the playoffs, in a position where they usually wouldn't in any other season.

Apparently disagreeing with you means I'm fixated. Lol ok. I couldn't care less if there's a play-in tourney. But because there is, at least for this season, I'm willing to tune in. If it's eventually a bad idea, then sure, the NBA won't implement it for next season. If it's a good idea, then the NBA will do the same thing next season or come up with a variant. I just think your reasoning for why it's bad, is wrong.

Especially the 'rewarding losers' stance you keep trying to push. If you end up a 7th seed at the end of the regular season, lose 2 in a row in the tourney, you're a loser, through and through. If you can't win 2 non-consecutive games or so against teams that are close to you in the standings, you're a loser. In reality, you're not a 7th seed and don't deserve to play the 2 seed, if you can't even win out.

Look, think what you want to think. I'm not going to change your mind, and you're not going to change mine. If you think the idea is stupid, then it is what it is.

 

I mean when the media points it out, they get their answer. You're talking as if they gave Lebron the mic and he went on a rant while nobody asked him anything. He came back from a high ankle sprain early. It's not surprising he's sitting out and he mentions that their health is what they're focused on

Nah, if you're a 7th seed at the end of the seed after you went through 72 games and done what you've done to put yourself in that position you deserve to be there. Now the other losers at the bottom, nah they don't deserve it. You didn't do enough and you shouldn't get any more opportunities than you already have especially when you're not a true playoff team

yeah the idea is stupid. I've made that crystal clear.

 

So on this current trajectory, if there wasn't a play-in this season and the Lakers and/or the Mavs dropped out of the playoff picture entirely, does this mean the Grizzlies / Blazers / Warriors / Spurs all deserve to be in the playoffs over the Lakers and Mavs, and that the Lakers and Mavericks aren't playoff teams? Just making sure of your viewpoint.

Ironically, the very thing that LeBron is complaining about might end up saving this season for the Lakers, if they continue to slide.