NBA to seed conference playoff teams by record

[shoes22]

No idea. I know nothing about these leagues. What do you think?

No. Divisions are a bigger deal in baseball and football and competing with at most 3 or 4 other teams for a playoff spot adds to the rivalry.

Unlike other leagues, simply making the playoffs in basketball isn’t a big deal at all, which is why no one cares if divisions exist and seeding from 1-16 is unimportant.

 

[Evgeni]

Ah gotcha. Well the question doesn't apply then if you don't care about the other leagues.

I'm all for the NBA having the top 8 in each conference be determined and seeded solely by record (i.e., not giving any favor to division winners). But I'd prefer to stop it there, and not have that expand to the best 16 teams in the entire NBA make it. Because then that would mean (I assume) that the playoff matchups could have east/west matchups every round of the playoffs, rather than the East on one side of a bracket and the West on the other side. It essentially negates the purpose of conferences altogether. I feel fine negating most purposes of a division, but I feel differently about conferences I guess.

And I'm wondering if anyone who wants the 16 best to make it in the NBA, also want that to apply to the MLB and NFL? And if not, why the NBA but not the others?

It doesn't negate the idea of conferences. Conferences would still exist to serve their primary reason, which is to save travel time during the regular season. In the playoffs you travel about once per week, so I don't think conferences are needed there.

Think of it this way. If all NBA teams were based in neighboring cities there would have been no reason to break teams into conferences in the first place.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

It doesn't negate the idea of conferences. Conferences would still exist to serve their primary reason, which is to save travel time during the regular season. In the playoffs you travel about once per week, so I don't think conferences are needed there.

Think of it this way. If all NBA teams were based in neighboring cities there would have been no reason to break teams into conferences in the first place.

Disagree. I know one of the purposes is travel time. But in every major U.S. sport, conferences also impact playoff brackets. Not really sure I want that to change in the NBA. And for people who do want that to change, I'm wondering if they want that to change for every major U.S. sport. If not, why not? And yes I get it, you're not from the U.S., and don't care about other U.S. sports.

 

[cavsfever]

I don't want them to eliminate conferences in playoff seeding until Lebron is safely retired. Why would you guys want to spend the next couple of years possibly playing SA/Houston/GS/Clippers to reach the Finals? Instead of essentially having a pretty clear road to the Finals and just facing one West team when we got there?

 

[Derek]

I'm all for just seeding the top 16 teams as long as they balance the schedule.

 

[Evgeni]

I don't want them to eliminate conferences in playoff seeding until Lebron is safely retired. Why would you guys want to spend the next couple of years possibly playing SA/Houston/GS/Clippers to reach the Finals? Instead of essentially having a pretty clear road to the Finals and just facing one West team when we got there?

For us it's not good, but for NBA in general I think it is. I want the best 16 teams to square off. I don't really see the downside of this.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

I'm all for just seeding the top 16 teams as long as they balance the schedule.

Would you want this for other US sports playoffs as well (e.g., NFL, MLB)?

 

[Derek]

Would you want this for other US sports playoffs as well (e.g., NFL, MLB)?

I guess I should have been clearer. The only way seeding the top 16 teams makes sense is if they balance the schedule, which won't happen.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

I guess I should have been clearer. The only way seeding the top 16 teams makes sense is if they balance the schedule, which won't happen.

Agreed, it won't happen. But still wondering - do people like you want this same format for the MLB, NFL, NHL or whatever other leagues you like? Or is it something specifically about the NBA? Because no other major sport I pay attention to does anything like best teams regardless of conferences (or even divisions).

 

[Derek]

Agreed, it won't happen. But still wondering - do people like you want this same format for the MLB, NFL, NHL or whatever other leagues you like? Or is it something specifically about the NBA? Because no other major sport I pay attention to does anything like best teams regardless of conferences (or even divisions).

I'm fine with things as they are. People are just overreacting to the recent shift of power to the Western Conference.

If I were to make any changes, it would be to put LESS teams in the playoffs. No chance of that happening either though.