Citing an “unbalance and a certain unfairness,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on Wednesday that the league may soon adjust the current playoff system, changing it so that it isn’t the best eight teams in each conference who reach the postseason (O’Donnell, Feb. 5).

As far as what the potential change might entail, Silver said:

“There is a proposal where the division winners would all automatically go into the playoffs and then you’d seed the next 10 best teams.”

At present, there are two teams in the Eastern Conference who are on track to make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record while every current playoff team in the Western Conference is above .500.

While Silver pointed out that some travel issues could arise from such a change, he noted that it’s something he’s “going to look at closely with the competition committee. I do think it’s an area where we need to make a change.”

This has been long over due. The teams with the best records should get in period.

Next should be the team with the 6th-8th seed should have the highest odds at winning the lottery. This will eliminate crappy contracts keeping teams stuck in mediocrity. More teams will be able and willing to spend to push for that 6th seed and every game will matter.

gunsnewing wrote:No need to reduce the number of teams. Silver's proposal is brilliant

make getting into the post season a bit more difficult and maybe teams will take the regular season more serious -- for the whole season. orrrrr, reduce the # of regular season games. do that and keeping 16 isnt that bad.

i realize they wont cut back on either since its all about the $$$

VDesai wrote:The best teams do get in- its just the best teams in each conference that get in. If you accept this proposal you eliminate the conference system and you change the way the finals are played. Remember it wasn't always this way- at times the East was much better than the west. Things have swung - but this thing tends to even out over the long haul. I wouldn't change the system at this point. If I did anything I'd reduce the number of teams in the playoffs - but the NBA will never do that since it makes them more money.

Excellent point. If this proposal happens then we are looking at a tournament type scenario for the top 16 teams that make the playoffs. With the current standing...we can see an Atlanta vs OKC 1st round matchup. I don't know how I feel about it. It makes sense but the old foggie in me seems to resist it.

NYKBocker wrote:

VDesai wrote:The best teams do get in- its just the best teams in each conference that get in. If you accept this proposal you eliminate the conference system and you change the way the finals are played. Remember it wasn't always this way- at times the East was much better than the west. Things have swung - but this thing tends to even out over the long haul. I wouldn't change the system at this point. If I did anything I'd reduce the number of teams in the playoffs - but the NBA will never do that since it makes them more money.

Excellent point. If this proposal happens then we are looking at a tournament type scenario for the top 16 teams that make the playoffs. With the current standing...we can see an Atlanta vs OKC 1st round matchup. I don't know how I feel about it. It makes sense but the old foggie in me seems to resist it.

not really an excellent point... in today's day and age. back in the day when the east was better, we were not in the mobile era, the split second attention span era... now you have to work doubly hard to keep the attention of these kids.

nba is losing viewership in terms of percentages. there is no way we should be allowing crappy teams from the east that cant even play 0.5 ball to get to the playoffs...

sure it hurts the east in the short run, but we will see more competitive ball being played overall. eventually the current draft rules will even things out.

VCoug wrote:

fishmike wrote:I would do this but expand the divisions to 4 per conference and the after the division winners the top 8 get in. Why? I think the value of regional competition trumps the league over all. I think its healthy for Bos/Ny/PHili to have rivalries such that the reg season games DO mean more.

If you have 4 divisions in each conference then you'd either have to have one division with only 3 teams in it or add two teams to the league.