Did the Finals suck? Yes. So that (and that it's a slow work day today) motivated me enough to think about the discussion that pretty comes up yearly once they're over. Fixing the playoffs.


I actually have two ideas, but before I start - let's take a look at this year's playoff teams:

EAST
1 z-Detroit 53 29 .646 - 26-15 27-14 36-16 9-7 96.0 91.8 +4.2 Won 2 7-3 
2 x-Cleveland 50 32 .610 3 30-11 20-21 31-21 10-6 96.8 92.9 +3.8 Won 4 7-3 
3 y-Toronto 47 35 .573 6 30-11 17-24 33-19 11-5 99.5 98.5 +1.0 Lost 2 7-3 
4 y-Miami 44 38 .537 9 27-14 17-24 27-25 9-7 94.6 95.5 -0.9 Lost 2 5-5 
5 x-Chicago 49 33 .598 4 31-10 18-23 36-16 12-4 98.8 93.8 +5.0 Lost 1 7-3 
6 x-New Jersey 41 41 .500 12 24-17 17-24 31-21 10-6 97.6 98.3 -0.8 Won 4 8-2 
7 x-Washington 41 41 .500 12 26-15 15-26 27-25 8-8 104.3 104.9 -0.5 Won 1 2-8 
8 x-Orlando 40 42 .488 13 25-16 15-26 26-26 9-7 94.8 94.0 +0.8 Won 4 7-3 

WEST
1 z-Dallas 67 15 .817 - 36-5 31-10 40-12 14-2 100.0 92.8 +7.2 Won 1 6-4 
2 y-Phoenix 61 21 .744 6 33-8 28-13 36-16 11-5 110.2 102.9 +7.3 Lost 2 7-3 
3 x-San Antonio 58 24 .707 9 31-10 27-14 38-14 10-6 98.5 90.1 +8.4 Lost 3 6-4 
4 y-Utah 51 31 .622 16 31-10 20-21 32-20 10-6 101.5 98.6 +2.9 Won 2 4-6 
5 x-Houston 52 30 .634 15 28-13 24-17 28-24 8-8 97.0 92.1 +4.9 Lost 1 6-4 
6 x-Denver 45 37 .549 22 23-18 22-19 27-25 9-7 105.4 103.7 +1.6 Won 2 9-1 
7 x-LA Lakers 42 40 .512 25 25-16 17-24 28-24 10-6 103.2 103.4 -0.2 Won 2 4-6 
8 x-Golden State 42 40 .512 25 30-11 12-29 28-24 6-10 106.5 106.8 -0.2 Won 5 9-1 

OK, now my first idea isn't that dramatic of a change. Firstly, winning your division only gives you a playoff spot - not a guaranteed 4 seed. Once we get the division winners and next 5, seed by record. It's that simple. Therefore, in the first round, we would've had these matchups.

EAST
(8) Orlando @ Detroit (1)
(7) Washington @ Cleveland (2)
(6) New Jersey @ Chicago (3)
(5) Miami @ Toronto (4)

WEST
- would stay exactly the same.


Now for the second idea, which actually is a dramatic change.

Right off, this idea is NOT going to be travel-friendly or coast-friendly (i/e ratings suffer) as I'm basically ditching the conference-exclusive playoff format. Secondly, I think 16 teams in the playoffs are just way too freakin' much so I'm going to trim 4.

Therefore, we have just 12 teams: the 6 division winners (again, you're rewarded for winning your division) and the next best 6 records in the league. In the first round, the Top 4 seeded teams get byes, the other 8 play a 5-game series, Others rounds are the standard 7. And since this is a coast-agnostic playoffs, all series will be 2-3-2 (2-2-1 in the first round). So we get this:

(1) z-Dallas 67 15 .817 - 36-5 31-10 40-12 14-2 100.0 92.8 +7.2 Won 1 6-4 
(2) y-Phoenix 61 21 .744 6 33-8 28-13 36-16 11-5 110.2 102.9 +7.3 Lost 2 7-3 
(3) x-San Antonio 58 24 .707 9 31-10 27-14 38-14 10-6 98.5 90.1 +8.4 Lost 3 6-4 
(4) z-Detroit 53 29 .646 14 26-15 27-14 36-16 9-7 96.0 91.8 +4.2 Won 2 7-3 
(5) x-Houston 52 30 .634 15 28-13 24-17 28-24 8-8 97.0 92.1 +4.9 Lost 1 6-4 
(6) y-Utah 51 31 .622 16 31-10 20-21 32-20 10-6 101.5 98.6 +2.9 Won 2 4-6 
(7) x-Cleveland 50 32 .610 17 30-11 20-21 31-21 10-6 96.8 92.9 +3.8 Won 4 7-3 
(8) x-Chicago 49 33 .598 18 31-10 18-23 36-16 12-4 98.8 93.8 +5.0 Lost 1 7-3 
(9) y-Toronto 47 35 .573 20 30-11 17-24 33-19 11-5 99.5 98.5 +1.0 Lost 2 7-3 
(10) x-Denver 45 37 .549 22 23-18 22-19 27-25 9-7 105.4 103.7 +1.6 Won 2 9-1 
(11) y-Miami 44 38 .537 23 27-14 17-24 27-25 9-7 94.6 95.5 -0.9 Lost 2 5-5 
(12) x-LA Lakers 42 40 .512 25 25-16 17-24 28-24 10-6 103.2 103.4 -0.2 Won 2 4-6 
----------------------
OUT-Golden State 42 40 .512 25 30-11 12-29 28-24 6-10 106.5 106.8 -0.2 Won 5 9-1 
OUT-New Jersey 41 41 .500 26 24-17 17-24 31-21 10-6 97.6 98.3 -0.8 Won 4 8-2 
OUT-Washington 41 41 .500 26 26-15 15-26 27-25 8-8 104.3 104.9 -0.5 Won 1 2-8 
OUT-Orlando 40 42 .488 27 25-16 15-26 26-26 9-7 94.8 94.0 +0.8 Won 4 7-3 

ROUND 1
(1) Dallas (BYE)
(2) Phoenix (BYE)
(3) San Antonio (BYE)
(4) Detroit (BYE)
-----------------------------
(5) Houston v. (12) LA Lakers
(6) Utah v. (11) Miami
(7) Cleveland v. (10) Denver
(8) Chicago v. (9) Toronto

ROUND 2
(1) Dallas v. (8) Chicago or (9) Toronto
(2) Phoenix v. (7) Cleveland or (10) Denver
(3) San Antonio v. (6) Utah or (11) Miami
(4) Detroit v. (5) Houston or (12) LA Lakers

That's about it. Feel free to tear it apart. It's just an idea I had.

[Edited by - K22 on 06-18-2007 3:01 PM]