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

Because that’s the logic I’m using. The problem isn’t needing to add more teams which is this dumb idea. It’s always been there’s a few teams that shouldn’t even be in the playoffs.

 

This just ignores history and that an 8th seed can beat a 1 seed, why get rid of it to rob people of those historic moments? If the 1 seed is so much better, they prove it.

The fact that we've had upsets says it's fine to me.

 

That’s you. Makes no sense to me when 99.9% of the time it doesn’t. And adding 4 teams who obviously aren’t playoff caliber to this is just plain dumb

 

One of the most memorable moments in NBA history is Dikembe on the court laughing/crying as he holds the ball up...

Or Bdiddy dunking and styling on a supposedly unbeatable Mavs team...a moment so memorable that even Curry was paying it homage some days or so ago

anything that gets rid of those moments is unnecessary to me. Yeah, 1 seed will likely handle these teams in 4-5 games in mostly blowouts...but when they don't? that's when things get fun and that's when it's worth it. I think the spirit of sports itself is to simply prove it. If we're going to start getting rid of teams because we think they are better than just get rid of all 5-8 seeds, why not? Why stop at 8 or 7?

I guess I'd rather have them though even if those moments come once every 20 years, when they do, they make for great entertainment and drama.

 

it's not really unnecessary when you'll still have those #1 seeds playing lower seeds who will be underdogs who qualify for the playoffs. Only this time it's true playoff caliber teams baseball has a limited number of playoffs teams and it's still extremely exciting. In fact, you could argue it's much more intense and nerve wrecking. And the mlb has more than 8 playoff caliber teams with the same 30 total number of teams in their league

There's nothing entertaining about watching the hornets/wash basketball displayed today in these play ins. It was complete trash

 

Yeah, but that slippery slope can extend. Just have top 4 seeds in that case if watching non-elite teams is that offending. I thought it was cool to see Tatum get hot like that. I don't think it was complete trash for that reason, it's fun to see star players just explode and lead their team to a W no matter who it's against or what the circumstances might be.

I guess personally I don't really see a downside to how they did it this year. It's possibly more money for the NBA, both games were top trending on twitter and it made the end of the season a lot more interesting.

 

Tatum isn't really relevant to this. He and Boston are the 7th seed and are a clinched playoff team any other year. They should be resting til the weekend, just like the other 12 playoff teams that clinched. Tatum is that good where his ceiling is high enough to where he's fully capable of games like this. And I didn't say it was Boston that was trash to see. It was their opponent that isn't really a playoff team sitting well below .500. And again the other trash hornets team that have no business in playoff discussions

It didn't make the end of the season that interesting. The same things happened as they would any other year. Teams sat their guys not caring if they won or loss. Many games were meaningless as usual. The NBA is truthfully in a sad state if they sitting there saying two blowout games like these tonight are a must going forward for "money". Which i severely doubt

 

But you just said it, you have 1 of those moments every 20 years. Now I don't think you can just remove 7th and 8th seed without some sort of consolation bracket replacement.

But just keeping the status quo because it is the status quo doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There is way too many entertainment options that are too easily accessible in today's environment to not adapt.

 

The Hornets are probably comfortably in the playoffs if it weren't for Lamelo getting hurt and ruining their momentum. They were like the 5th seed consistently until that point. I think nothing is wrong with giving them a shot at getting in. The Wizards were also a team dealing with injuries that hurt their record for the most part and they'd be in the playoffs regardless.

I think that's an opinion though, all I see from a lot of people is that it did make the end of the season more interesting. Yes, teams were still resting and what not...but more teams were playing meaningful games. That's just the truth of them extending the playoffs as that it forced less teams to throw in the towel and gave them something to play for.

As for money, it definitely gets the NBA more money in the long run. Especially when they start selling tickets again to full stadiums.

 

I don't think so. hornets haven't been a playoff team all year. LaMelo highlights on social media doesn't mean their team is good and a playoff team. There record vs good teams is terrible. They were only the 5th seed because teams like miami, ny atl, and boston were dealing with their own issues that caused a slow start. The wizards also were never any good. People still are trying to latch onto the westbrick impact and which is once again nothing.

Nah for people that actually paid attention to the end of the season they would know nothing changed about how games were meaningless and teams sat their best players in preparation for the playoffs. More games were not meaningful. It was the same as any other year when teams are playing for position. A plain scenario didn't change that. And no it didn't. Teams still threw in the towel that wanted too just like any other year

The money angle can be just as satisfied with regular season games like they've done as always. The play in scenarios are meaningless as we've just witness in the first 2 games. Are we about to see another 2 blowouts tomorrow

 

Yeah, but I don't think adding 4 more games to the season will turn people away. I think it just makes more games relevant at the end of the season.

I also don't think the matchups are that unappealing, it's not like it's the Rockets and Detroit. Tonight it was Westbrook v Tatum and we don't have ratings or any data but I know it was trending on twitter...and tomorrow will be Lebron v Curry. We know people are going to watch that.

 

More games were meaningful though? If you extend the playoffs, it makes more games meaningful by default, it meant that there was now a 10th seed to be fought for and that meant more teams were vying for playoff spots.

Teams still threw in the towel, I did not say they didn't, but LESS teams did. We literally had the 11th seeded Bulls fighting for a play-in spot and the Pelicans. Take away the play in, those teams throw in the towel mid-way through the season. The Bulls literally made a push for that spot when teams normally give up.

The money angle can't be satisfied by adding 4 more regular season games. Playoff games make more money than regular season games. This is why you have mediocre teams in the first place because some owners want playoff revenue and don't care if they are a treadmill team.

 

They're not adding more games. What they were doing was doing what it's supposed to. Some games meaningful and other games not. Nobody was fighting to be the 10th seed. That ridiculous. the pelicans stopped caring and they have Zion who definitely the league has been wanting to promote. If they cared so much they wouldn't have sat ingram or zion. The raptors stopped caring a long time ago and bulls were without lavine too long to even make a run.

The last 3 weeks of the season for the bulls 5-5. The last 3 weeks for the pelicans 3-7. The last 3 weeks for the raptors 1-9. There was no push from any of these teams. why? bc nobody gives af about a 10th seed that sucks and shouldn't at that point.

This isn't even the actual playoffs. It's a play in. It's not a true playoff game. So yes regular season games would absolutely satisfy whatever these 2 blowout games were. especially when folks quit watching well before the game was over.

 

Also...these are the top 10 trends right now...

4 are NBA related...you can't tell me there's little to no interest in this. American sports fans LOVE win or go home situations. NCAA tourney, MLB wildcard, and NFL playoffs basically prove that.

 

They sat Zion because he was hurt though? Ingram stay hurt too and he was injured as well...and yes teams were fighting to be 10th seed, how is that ridiculous? You're saying the Spurs were trying to lose games on purpose? Because that's basically what you're saying.

 

they sat him because it wasn't worth it for him to play through injury for a sorry 10th seed because again it's meaningless. That goes for ingram. No teams weren't. you're literally sitting there and just assuming. I've tracked the last number of weeks of these teams. They had no sense of a real push to make the 10 seed. yeah you saying the bulls, pelicans etc were trying for the 10th is ridiculous. They weren't

The spurs suck. They lucked into the 10 seed just by sheer default. They finished the year 2-10 and won't be in the real playoffs this weekend. But nobody below them cared to make up ground because well it's pointless and another example of No the pelicans weren't playing for the 10th seed. They even loss to phx in the last game when they sat cp3, booker, and crowder.

 

How am I assuming and you're not? You act as if they were 7 games out of that spot when they were 1. Do you have any quotes or evidence that they didn't care? Last I read, they were pretty pissed off at the injury.

Quote from SVG “It is tough. It’s tough to have put ourselves back in the hunt over these last four games and have this happen. That’s what it is.”
this sound like someone not wanting to make the playoffs? The Pelicans have been desperate to get the 8th seed, of course they wanted to get that 10 spot and have a chance at getting it. So yes, they were, they literally said they were. They came into last season with the same mentality. They have had the goal at the start of every season with "Lets get into the playoffs" literally, that's their goal every season. They've made win now moves to do so...and nwo, apparently, one game out of a chance to get into the playoffs you're saying they actually really didn't want to get into the playoffs because....???

Zion couldn't play period, you can't play basketball with broken fingers or anything wrong with your hands.

I think the point is, and so far what we know shows this...google trends, twitter trends, whatever trends you track right now. The NBA was top trending...and this is with 2 games with meh matchups...

 

They were never 1 game out of the spot in the last few weeks. that's how i know you're just making stuff up at this point. I don't need quotes. I showed you how they finished the season from a number of teams. clearly showing there wasn't some push like you falsely claimed. Zion last played on 5/4 and they were 30-36. The next day the spurs were 31-34 and went 2-6, while nop went 1-5. Yeah they sure made a push and wanted to make the playoffs while losing

you're acting as if twitter doesn't trend when any nba players go off. This isn't new. When curry goes nuts, it trends. When harden has a crazy game it trends. Strange how you're making it seem trending on twitter when guys go for 50 or something is some new phenomenon. Tatum is a top 5 jersey selling player and is one of the one of the most popular young stars in the league. Shocking he was trending after a 50 point game

So where's the Indy/Hornets game attention. since the nba was top trending. oh that's right nobody give af.

 

You don't need quotes and instead your proof is that they lost games? So I gues the Pelicans didn't go and make moves the last two seasons to win now and make the playoffs and oh, they were 2 games out of the play-in when he was hurt...but lets ignore their moves, quotes, all that because they lost games?

Huh? How is that proof that they didn't want to make the playoffs and there wasn't a push for them to do so?

You're making up that they didn't want to make the playoffs, not me. That's a complete fabrication from you.

 

I mean hiring Stan Van Gundy. You must think hes some awesome coach I guess. I never thought the pelicans moves made them better. Bucks got the better end of the deal and so did OKC. Bledsoe hasn't been good for a long time And Adams is an extremely limited center. Doesn't really fit how the pelicans should be playing. They're not in win now mode. Their best players are 20 and 23 years old. They're far from that stage

The proof is all you need when your team just continues to lose. Fluff pieces from a coach means next to nothing when its his job to try and be as positive as possible. There's nothing to make up. You're sitting there trying to assume these teams tried to make the 10th seed. And they absolutely didn't. Not everyone has a loser mentality like that