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0 One terrific thing about the NBA and commissioner David Stern is that they repair mistakes with their video game. Case in point– in 2003 the NBA switched the first round of the playoffs from a best-of-five video game series to a best-of-seven to assist guarantee that the better group advances. That’s why it’s mind boggling to wonder why they will not alter the playoff format to account for fiascos like this season.
Come playoff time the Nuggets were the # 3 seed while the Mavericks were the # 4 seed. All due to the fact that Dallas occurs to play in the same department as San Antonio and the top 3 seeds HAVE TO be division winners. Now Dallas and San Antonio are satisfying in the 2nd round of the playoffs as opposed to the Western Conference Championship, where the two finest groups ought to be meeting.
To add to the mayhem, the # 6 seeded LA Clippers had a better record than the # 3 seed Nuggets. If you are going to reward division winners with the leading 3 seeds, shouldn’t you likewise reward them with house court benefit? Or you might simply reward the groups with the better record with the house court benefit AND the higher seed!
If all of that wasn’t embarrassing enough, at the end of the regular season the NBA was faced with the worst possible situation for a sporting occasion– a video game where it was much better for each team to lose. The # 5 seeded Memphis Grizzlies were playing the # 6 seed Clippers with the loser having the within track to the # 6 seed and house court benefit in the preliminary. The winner would likely get the # 5 seed and a date with the Mavericks in the first round. The Clippers “lost” the game and went on to get the # 6 seed, home court benefit, and a fairly easy win over the Nuggets in the first round. The Grizzlies “won” the game, the # 5 seed, and were promptly swept out of the playoffs by the remarkable Mavericks.
The NBA can not permit this to take place once again. There must never ever be a video game where it is in each groups finest interest to lose.
The most basic and rational option to this issue is to guarantee each department winner a spot in the playoffs, but then seed the groups based on their records with the greatest seed always having house court. I liken it to the NCAA Tournament– winning the Big Ten or the ACC doesn’t guarantee you a number one seed, it ensures you a spot in the tournament.
Here’s what the seeding appeared like this year:.
- * San Antonio (63-19).
- * Phoenix (54-28).
- * Denver (44-38).
- Dallas (60-22).
- Memphis (49-33).
- LA Clippers (47-35).
- LA Lakers (45-37).
- Sacramento (44-38).
- Division Winner.
Here’s what it would have looked like in my suggested system:.
- * San Antonio (63-19).
- Dallas (60-22).
- * Phoenix (54-28).
- Memphis (49-33).
- LA Clippers (47-35).
- LA Lakers (45-37).
- * Denver (44-38).
- Sacramento (44-38).
- Division Winner.
Amazing! The very best teams really have the greatest seeds AND have the house court benefit, all while still preserving the importance of winning a division. This would avoid Dallas and San Antonio from playing in the second round, guarantee that Memphis would have home court advantage and not be stuck playing Dallas, and avoid Denver from getting the # 3 seed just for winning the department … all while keeping the integrity of winning a division by offering Denver the # 7 seed over Sacramento for winning their department.
Please, please do the right thing for next season Mr. Stern and embrace a system that is reasonable for every group. Don’t let this catastrophe develop into the brand-new BCS. Do what you always do– fix what’s incorrect.
Come playoff time the Nuggets were the # 3 seed while the Mavericks were the # 4 seed. All due to the fact that Dallas happens to play in the exact same department as San Antonio and the leading three seeds HAVE TO be division winners. To add to the mayhem, the # 6 seeded LA Clippers had a better record than the # 3 seed Nuggets. The # 5 seeded Memphis Grizzlies were playing the # 6 seed Clippers with the loser having the within track to the # 6 seed and home court benefit in the very first round. The most simple and sensible service to this problem is to ensure each division winner an area in the playoffs, but then seed the teams based on their records with the highest seed always having house court.
