Silver says NBA will 'take a fresh look' at changing playoff format

Because Expanding is positive and doesn't get as many posts.

 

Expanding overseas is hilarious. Contract Toronto just to make sure it doesn't happen.

 

I like the idea of a play-in single elimination tournament for the 7th and 8th seeds. I'd set it up so 12 teams make the playoffs. 16 teams make the playin tournament, with 4 winners advancing to the playoffs. The worst two teams in the league are left out.

For the playin games, the teams with the four best records, who would currently be the 7th and 8th seeds would play all playin games at home. All they have to do is win two home games and they are into the main best of 7 series playoffs. The teams with the next four best records, who currently just miss the playoffs, would host the first playin game and travel for the final playin game unless there is an upset.

Matchups should be reseeded after each round just as the NFL does. So in the current system if the 8th seed beat the one seed they play the 4 vs 5 winner. I'd rather see it where the 2nd seed plays the lowest remaining seed, in this case the 8th seed, and the 3rd seed plays the 4 or 5 seed.

I'm kind of torn on the seeding 1-16 idea. Its kind of fun with the history of always having an East vs West finals. But there are some big positives changing to the 1-16 format, it would be much more fair. It would make the end of the regular season more interesting because there would be a lot of teams in the other conference to battle for playoff positioning with. Also if they combined this 1-16 format with reseeding after every round it would make the matchups very unpredictable, but reward the teams with a good record so they always play the lowest seed.

I think there will be some big changes this summer, with playoff format and tanking. Stern probably would've made a change the last few years but I think with him leaving soon the league decided it wanted to let the new commissioner in first before some of these big changes begin.

 

You could reduce the number of games. Play every team twice, and then play your own division 4 times each. (Keep divisions for travel reasons). That drops it down to 66 games I believe.

 

I like basketball. I don't want fewer games. I want more games.

 

Maybe it was not intended to come off this way, but I would like to see the two best teams rather than a marquee matchup like James and Durant. I would almost go with something in the middle. Say, the top four teams in each conference earn those top four spots, with the bottom four seeds in each conference being determined by the next best eight records across the league. That would at least propel teams in each conference to battle for one of those top four spots.

 

Make no mistake, the second LeBron moves west, the current playoff picture will be the one that prevents a LeBron/Durant finals... and then we'll see this new solution put into place.

 

Would not surprise me in the least.