Here's how you fix the playoffs and draft. Top 16 teams make the playoffs like above - no east vs west conference. The ping pong ball draft lottery is abolished. The 14 teams not in the playoffs are invited to a tournament ONLY IF they win a certain number of games in the season. The #1 pick in next years draft is handed to the winner of the tournament. The #2 pick in next years draft is handed to the runner up of the tournament. All the way down to a pre-determined number (say to the 10th pick if only 10 teams are invited) This eliminates completely the joke that is tanking because teams MUST WIN in order for a chance to get the lottery. That is the basic structure. Then you obviously can go into further rules such as teams who generally can't win the certain number of games required for the invite tournament - the League finds a way to help them be better etc etc. Eliminate tanking. Improve the Playoffs. Give a second tournament to create further cash flow for the League. You're welcome Adam Silver. EDIT: problem with this is teams fighting for the bottom seeds can just tank to avoid the Playoffs and get a high pick thanks to playing worse teams in the tournament. To combat this there can be some further incentive for the 16 teams that make the Playoffs - therefore it's in the franchise's best interest to finish in the top 16.
players won't have the motivation to win for a top pick for the team. think about free agents who are going to leave anyways...you think thy will play hard as possible? also consider if the #1 player in the draft is a big man..will the C of your team play his ass off so he can be demoted next season?
top 16 teams by record, then the 8 winners of first round get reseeded and play, then top 4 get reseeded and play, I really like this idea
I like it all but the re-seeding. The NCAA doesn't re-seed in the tourney. Why should a team in the 10-14 range who pulls an upset keep having to play the best team?
It depends how much relative importance you want to place on the regular season vs. the playoffs. If you reseed after each round, then getting a high seed becomes much more important.
