Teams with losing records not in a playoff spot should not be allowed to play in the play in games

that's why it shouldn't be expanded which is the point. Typically the west will always have their top 8 teams in the playoffs .500 or better. Then 1 or 2 bubble teams that are right there which would make sense to have them maybe do a play in. Because we know the west is deeper. Ex) Memphis is a good bubble team for the west this year at 9. GS/Memphis play in makes sense. SA has no business being there

The east on the other hand as stated earlier, once you get to those last spots at 7/8 its generally a dramatic dropoff. Where a play in shouldn't even be done. The last seeds are already under .500 or very close.

 

Look, in most years those 7 or 8th seeds will get destroyed in the first round anyway so it doesn't really matter in the championship picture. But there are reasons to want to be in the playoffs other than just the championship. The Knicks fans are elated just to see playoff basketball again no matter what happens. Memphis would love to get their young guys in to get some reps even in a sweep. Maybe the 7 and 8th right now will end up winning out the play in anyway and none of it will matter but in past years the last month of the regular season would absolutely suck with 10+ teams just throwing games and half the games not mattering. Now at least they reduced the number of tanking teams to around 6 and added some intrigue to otherwise pointless games. The Lakers-Blazers-Mavs scenario actually had my attention these past few weeks whereas normally I'd just be waiting for the playoffs.

 

Well it does matter because that's the standard that is set. I mean we've seen teams in the west that are almost 10 games over .500 barely qualify as an 8th seed. That definitely should be rewarded for a playoff birth. regardless if they are "destroyed" in the 1st round or not. That doesn't take anything away from that team having a good enough season that warrants a playoff birth. The Lakers as a 7th seed definitely aren't getting destroyed this year. In fact they'll be favored to win the series vs the Suns. They still have the best odds to win the west. and are 2nd behind the nets to win the ship

The Lakers/blazers/mavs would have anyone's attention because they were all vying and shuffling for the 5,6,7 seed. That play in didn't have to be factored in for that to be relevant. In a normal year, they'd clinch the playoffs already and were never in danger of not making the top 8

The same scenarios happened for the past week. Teams rested guys and basically didn't care if they won or loss with their end of bench guys. A ton of games were pointless. That's never going to stop as teams are getting ready for the playoffs or doing what they can to improve their draft position

 

It's also a valuable experience for young stars. Most young stars go through being a low seed, part of the growth...and I think as long as we've had even ONE upset it is worth having those seeds because while it isn't likely...when it does...it sure is memorable as hell.

 

That makes sense, except that by ignoring geography, you could be penalizing the top team. Let's say Boston is the top seed, and as a reward they get to travel cross country to play the 16th seed Clippers. That's a lot of travel back and forth, and the wear and tear could hurt the top seed later on.

 

Okay what about this:

1. The NBA institutes more cash sharing for all the post-season tournaments, play in, consolation tournaments. (So the top seed teams still get money even though they lose 2-3 home playoff games.)
2. The playoffs gives the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds byes for the 1st round.
3. The play in games only effects the 6th seed. (7th vs. 8th seed. Winner then has to beat 6th twice, but 6th seed only has to win 1 game).

The Draft Lottery gets moved up from during the playoffs to the day after the play in games. The actual lottery for the top picks of the 1st round stays the same with the current odds.

The Lottery teams excluding the teams who won the top 2 picks during the lottery play a Consolation tournament to get an extra consolation draft picks between the first and second rounds, say 1 pick to top 4 finishers. The players get added cash bonuses for playing and doing well in this tourney. You can make it double elimination or as winner-take-all 1 games. Institute something these that these picks cannot be traded.

 

I cannot remember how many times 2000-2010 the Rockets battled to a winning record in a brutal west conference, and missed the playoffs while multiple sub-500 teams in the east went to the playoffs.

• eliminate divisions
• eliminate conferences
• each team plays every other team twice each in the regular season - 58 games
• fewer games in the regular season reduces injuries
• top 16 in the league go to the playoffs

Divisions and conferences are a stupid nostalgic vestige from a time when teams traveled by bus.
Rivalry narratives are built by competitive playoff series, not regions.
The entire damn point of a playoff system is to see the best play the best. Year after year after year, the conference system gets in the way of that or prevents it outright.

 

You could scratch half of the East.

 

Right. I think at the top the East is actually better this year for a change. Regardless of record, I'll take the Nets, Philly and Milwaukee over Utah, Phoenix and Denver. But after that is a different matter, in the play-in tournament the difference between East and West is huge.

Looking at 7 through 9, though:

7) Boston 36-36, Lakers 42-30
8) Washington 34-38, Warriors 39-33
9) Indiana 34-38, Memphis 38-34
Then the 10th seed evens out with both Charlotte and San Antonio at 33-39.

 

No play-in if sub .400

That bar should be low enough.