The NBA's playoff system is broken, because the league's best 16 teams never make the postseason. This year is no exception; two West teams better than Mike D'Antoni's Knicks will be left in the cold. But there's a dead simple way to fix it.
Mar 30, 2011 - So long as the BCS exists, no other major sports playoff system can possibly look truly terrible; college football's bowl system is so backwards -- and, as it turns out, corrupt -- that quibbling over the way the NBA's playoffs work seems like quibbling. In other words, it could be worse, much worse. Imagine basketball's version of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, featuring the Timberwolves and Nets!
But something is broken in the NBA, and it's the conference system.
Every year, the East admits four to seven good teams to the NBA playoffs, and one to four crummy teams. Every year, the West leaves at least one solid team outside of the NBA playoffs, because all eight teams in are really, really good. And that's not just a loose interpretation of memory: that's what actually happens. The graphic below shows the records of the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in each conference since 2003.
In seven of the past eight seasons, the No. 9 team in the West had a better record than the No. 8 team in the East. That means that the NBA didn't take the top 16 teams to the playoffs -- it took the top 12-15, plus a bad team or four while better squads got early start on their beach reading. In the one year where the first team out for the West wasn't better than the last team in for the East, the teams' records were tied.
It's systemic. The East has had the bigger influx of impact players since 2003; LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose are among the East superstars that have entered the league since this great imbalance began. And the issue isn't ending.
The Houston Rockets are this season's victim. The Rockets currently sit at 39-35, four games ahead of .500 but 2.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed in the West. The East playoff picture would, as of Wednesday, admit three teams with records worse than that of Houston to the postseason: the 76ers (38-36), Knicks (36-38) and Pacers (33-42).
In fact, if the NBA abolished conference seeding in the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns would slide in, too. Here's what the bracket would look like after Tuesday's action.
What do you know? If you include the best 16 teams in the league regardless of conference, the series still look amazing! Magic-Nuggets would be must-see television, and not just because of the phrase "Magic Nuggets." There isn't a bad first-round series there (though Bulls-Sixers could get a bit grindy), and the second-round pairings are as wonderful as anything we'll get under the current system. I mean, the opportunity for Lakers-Heat before the NBA Finals alone is worth it, right?
The NBA has slowly but surely eroded the meaning of divisions; now, all a division title gets you is an automatic playoff berth, a top-4 seed and a tiebreaker advantage. Why not similarly erode the conference structure? Travel isn't an issue these days, and rivalries that aren't geographic in nature as just as powerful as regional battles. It'd make for a fairer system and a better first round. What's not to love?
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The abolition of conference seeding looks like fair for everyone
but the conference playoff rivalries and generally the intra-conference competition would diminish a lot, which is a shame. If that ever happens, it would be good to restructure the whole standings system. Maybe merging all divisions into one like in the European leagues… oh what am I saying this sucks!
How can you keep the conference rivals and put the best 16 teams in the playoffs?
Hmm, let the 16 best records qualify, keep the conference playoff pairing with all its rivalries and send the surplus team of the one conference to the other side just for the playoffs. Crazy but I like it.
by ZenBaller on Mar 30, 2011 12:14 PM EDT reply actions
First the NBA needs to do something about teams with losing records making it to the Playoffs.
As bad as the bowl/BCS system is, at least they require a team to be .500 ir better before they are allowed to play in a postseason game.
by Cardfanintherock on Mar 30, 2011 12:36 PM EDT reply actions
After all that, it would still be Lakers/Celtics in the Finals.
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by Michael_Necci on Mar 30, 2011 1:27 PM EDT reply actions
as a Rockets fan I would be intrigued by this...
… but the Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be AWESOME this year. And abolishing the Conference structure really wouldn’t change anything, since it’s not like the Rockets or Phoenix really had a shot at winning the whole thing anyway. There are no VCUs in the NBA.
by grungedave on Mar 30, 2011 1:28 PM EDT reply actions
Why would Eastern Conference owners agree to this?
At the end of the day, I bet they’re more concerned with the revenue generated from at least 2 playoff games than they are with “fairness”. There are always going to be teams who are left out, and it’s fine. Hell, one could make the argument they let too many teams in the playoffs anyway. But, that’s an argument for another day.
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by Co Co on Mar 30, 2011 2:12 PM EDT reply actions
Some eastern conference teams get left in limbo around .500 every year. They aren’t good enough to be successful in the playoffs, but they are not bad enough to get in the lottery. By taking the top 16 teams record wise these east team could get back in the lottery and help balance the league for the future. I don’t like the no conference idea, but ZenBaller’s idea is exactly what I’ve thought for years.
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by The U.N. Fab Five on Mar 31, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you're clearly underestimating
how important money is to a lot of these owners.
@cocoqt81
by Co Co on Apr 2, 2011 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
and
it would be even more obvious if each team faced every other one just as often. Let´s keep the conferences so the owners can´t complain about the travelling part but please play Zillers non-conference playoffs. there are no back to backs so that´s manageble. exciting looking bracket!
by rubenho on Mar 30, 2011 2:19 PM EDT reply actions
Follow the MLS playoff model
The top teams (in basketball’s case, 16) would make the playoffs and you keep the conference sides of the brackets but for example if the Eastern Conference only sends 6 teams, as the case would be this year, you slide the additional two Western Conference teams into the bottom two spots in the Eastern bracket. They would play the #1 and #2 seeds in the East. Instead of the Lakers and Spurs they would play the Bulls and Celtics. That way the best teams get in and for the most part the conference matchups are kept in contact. Real Salt Lake won the MLS Cup in 2009 as the last team to make it into the playoffs and they were slid over the the Eastern Conference and won it all that way. I think it would be very interesting.
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by wheatie_87 on Mar 30, 2011 2:31 PM EDT reply actions
The best playoff teams don't always do well during the season.
I really hate to see Phoenix not getting into the Playoffs, but that’s just how the NBA is. As for the Knicks, I remember how in 1999, everyone thought they would be done in the first round. They made it to the Finals. The playoffs is made for teams to get a second chance. Although it does seem unfair that there is more stronger teams in the west.
It was the NBA, that considers teams like Memphis and New Orleans, western conference teams, when they are actually in the East Coast.
by timosmooth on Mar 30, 2011 2:59 PM EDT reply actions
come on now, the 1999 season never happened (or at least didn't count!)
by grungedave on Mar 30, 2011 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
It's called trends.
Take the time from 93-00. You could make the same argument, but switching conferences. See how weak the West was for a time?
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by jrobulls on Mar 30, 2011 3:36 PM EDT reply actions
Nice
The fact that it was the opposite for a while boosts the argument that it should be fixed, right? It’s better to ensure winning teams are rewarded over losing teams, no matter the conference.
by Tom Ziller on Mar 30, 2011 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
...that doesn't change anything
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
by rsavaj on Mar 31, 2011 2:08 AM EDT up reply actions
this format gives no weight for divisions
The NFC West in the NFL had a sub .500 team win the divison and the seahawks made the playoffs.
Perhaps the NBA should get rid of the conferences but keep the divisions. All 6 divisions will get an automatic bid but not necessarily homcourt advantage for round 1. The remaining 10 bids are then given to the top 10 teams based on regular season record.
by thewiz06 on Apr 1, 2011 1:50 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
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