This year marks the 70th anniversary of the current NBA playoffs format. It’s time for a change. The ideal replacement could help great teams like the Toronto Raptors.
The Toronto Raptors have clinched the postseason and now wait to see who will be their first-round opponent. Their matchup will be a result of the way in which the NBA has structured their playoffs format. The league has had the same bracket composition since 1949 when it was still under the BAA umbrella (granted the number of teams has expanded during that time).
With the long history of the playoff tournament being run the same way, it is time to shake things up, disrupt the traditionalists and start a new more interesting tradition. We will explore some options that could benefit the league’s best teams such as the Raptors in their hunt for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Mimic the NHL
Since both the NBA and the NHL have the same number of teams qualify in their hunt for a title, adopting hockey’s format would be simple.
Unfortunately, they have made a mess of their playoffs in an attempt to encourage rivalries. The teams are slotted into brackets based on where they finish in their division. Three teams per division make the playoffs along with the top two remaining conference teams designated as “wild cards”. The top division team plays the wild card and the last two teams play each other.
If the Raptors were to play under these rules, each of their divisions would qualify two teams, plus an additional pair of wild card squads. Looking at the Eastern Conference: from the Atlantic Division, the Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers would make it. From the Central Division, the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers would get the chance to compete and from the Southeast Division, the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic would get through. That then leaves the two wildcards of the next best teams, one of which being the Boston Celtics.
In this setup, the Bucks would play the lower of the two wildcards and the Raptors would play the Celtics. While that would make for an excellent first round to watch, it is absolutely not in the best interest of either Boston or Toronto.
One to sixteen
For the first time in nearly five years, Basketball fans will finally see a new NBA finals matchup. Since the Cleveland Cavaliers have been eliminated from contention, the Eastern Conference will finally send a new representative.
For many years the Eastern Conference was far weaker than the West. As a result, LeBron James found a way to carry a mediocre Cavaliers team to the finals for four straight seasons, and the Finals suffered because of it. That problem could have been eliminated with a different format.
Instead of seeding teams based on their conference, their placement would be based on their overall finish. First would play sixteenth, second – fifteenth, third – fourteenth, etc.. This avoids a stronger conference team having a more difficult road to the finals and even out the playing field.
At the time of writing this article, the Raptors have the second best record in the league. That means that they would play the fifteenth place Brooklyn Nets, which coincidently, they are slated to play anyway.
The problem with this playoff design is travel. It would cause west coast teams to face off against those in the east. There would be exhausting flights across time zones that would be a drain on all the players involved.
Count the Points
Instead of changing the matchups, the league can adjust the way in which a series is decided. Right now they play a best of seven, meaning the first team to win four games moves on. The series can feature both close finishes and blowouts. The only thing that matters each game is who gets the “W”.
If the NBA decided to make total points the focal point, it would eliminate “garbage time” and sitting star players in a blowout. Each series would feature six scheduled games and a rubber match, if necessary.
At the conclusion of the six games the team that put up the most points goes to the next round. In the unlikely event that both teams have an equal number of points scored, they would play once more to determine a winner.
The format change would certainly be radical and more in-line with European Football principles.
Owners would like this format because it guarantees three playoff home games for the round and a boost to revenue. Fans, however, would protest the change. Despite every field goal and free throw being more meaningful, it reduces the value of a win and fans are conditioned to covet positive game results above all else. While exciting, this scenario is not very realistic.
Pick ’em
While this system does not exist yet at a professional level, it should. Teams would qualify for the postseason in the same fashion they do now and seeding would not change. However, at the conclusion of the regular season, the top-ranked team in each conference would get to choose their opponent for the first round.
When the Bucks finish at the top of the East, they would select their first competitor. They could pick anyone from the conference, even the second place Raptors if they so desired. After the top seed made their selection, second place would then choose their opponent, followed by third picking theirs. Finally, the fourth-place team would match up against whoever is left. The same process would repeat itself in the second round.
This would be best for the Raptors because of their high finish. They would get the opportunity to find the team that they feel most comfortable challenging. The league and fans would love this setup due to the narrative that it creates.
A first place team may not necessarily pick the 8th place finisher. They may prefer a team with an injured player or a squad that they found little resistance encountering during the regular season.
The Raptors, for example, may wish to avoid the Detroit Pistons after struggling against them all season. A team may even wish to engage with a more formidable challenger before that team has the opportunity to find their footing and get rolling. No matter the reason, it creates great locker room material.
If the 6th place finisher is challenged by a top seed, they may take that personally as a slight or insult. That could stoke the flame inside a dressing room, getting a team to come our fiercer and with greater determination.
The NBA has kept the same format for too long, disincentivizing the regular season. In the future, they should try to change things up and reward the teams at the top of the standings.