Lakers got screwed by the play-in tournament setup

[LibertyPrime]

I think we can ALL agree that the Lakers have tons of talent - LeBron, AD, Russ - and deserved to make the playoffs this year.

I think you're only half-right.

[JRoy]

The purpose of the play-in is to get the best, most exciting teams into the playoffs, instead of depending on a regular season that is filled with injury luck and early season false starts. I think we can ALL agree that the Lakers have tons of talent - LeBron, AD, Russ - and deserved to make the playoffs this year. It is only fair that the best teams have the opportunity to play in the important games. Nobody wants to see the Spurs of all teams playing for an opportunity for a playoff spot while the Lakers sit at home. So the play-ins have failed to do what they were designed to do.

What was wrong with the play-in? Simple, not enough teams invited to play. We need to expand the play-in to cover more records. While 11th best record would have been enough to include the Lakers this team, I think we should expand it to 12 just to be safe.

I have spent four hours going over different possible formats, and I have settled on this as the best one:

Game A: 5th (Jazz) vs 6th (Nuggets) - winner gets 5th seed
Game B: 7th (T-Wolves) vs 8th (Clippers) - winner gets 6th seed
Game C: 9th (Pelicans) vs 10th (Spurs) - winner gets 7th seed
Game D: 11th (Lakers) vs 12th (Kings) - winner gets 8th seed

In my new improved format, the play-in tournament is only one game, providing more excitement for everyone. It also creates more incentive for teams to play hard to get the fourth best record or higher, instead of tanking to the fifth or sixth spot. And finally, you get a strong incentive to make sure you are climbing in standings from 12th best record to the 5th best record so you can compete for a higher seed. No incentives to tank except at the VERY bottom!

And best of all, we would have gotten to see an amazing Lakers-Suns matchup in the first round of these playoffs. Suns might be playing well right now, but you can never count out a team with LeBron, AD, and Russ in the playoffs! The talent is overwhelming.

What do you all think of my idea? Are there enough teams included? I was thinking maybe one more but I couldn't figure out how to make it work with an odd number of teams. Maybe someone else here can figure it out.

If LAL deserved the playoffs they would have made the playoffs.

LAL didn’t make the playoffs because they suck and I am loving it.

[shrink]

If you can't finish in the top 6 in your conference, you're not that good. If you can't finish in the top 10 in your conference, you're a bad team.

I would say, “not deserving an automatic berth” rather than “not very good,” but I share your sentiment. Which is an unpopular opinion since I am a Wolves fan.

Many say the current play in tournament diminishes the regular season games. Under the current system, MIN (46-36) had the chance to miss the playoffs, losing their spot to the Spurs (34-48). That may seem unfair, and some national talking heads have suggested that teams shouldn’t make the play in if their regular season record is this bad … 14 games under .500.

But for me, I’m fine with it. Sure, it would have been devastating to the Wolves franchise to miss the playoffs, but the NBA is supposed to be about competition. It’s not like you have to win the conference to get a guaranteed spot .. you just need to be in the top 6 (40%) of teams. If your team can’t cross that threshold, I don’t think they should be guaranteed anything.

[jbk1234]

If you can't finish in the top 6 in your conference, you're not that good. If you can't finish in the top 10 in your conference, you're a bad team.

I would say, “not deserving an automatic berth” rather than “not very good,” but I share your sentiment. Which is an unpopular opinion since I am a Wolves fan.

Many say the current play in tournament diminishes the regular season games. Under the current system, MIN (46-36) had the chance to miss the playoffs, losing their spot to the Spurs (34-48). That may seem unfair, and some national talking heads have suggested that teams shouldn’t make the play in if their regular season record is this bad … 14 games under .500.

But for me, I’m fine with it. Sure, it would have been devastating to the Wolves franchise to miss the playoffs, but the NBA is supposed to be about competition. It’s not like you have to win the conference to get a guaranteed spot .. you just need to be in the top 6 (40%) of teams. If your team can’t cross that threshold, I don’t think they should be guaranteed anything.

Also, if I finish 7th, and lose two play-in games to lower ranked teams, I'm happy for the lottery pick.

[Blame Rasho]

I am of the opinion that the play in ummm sucks. It is a money grab to have it. They should just keep it at the top 8 teams.

The lakers were beyond awful this season… and even with extra spots for them… they still missed it.

[LAL1947]

They see me trolling’

This.

I am of the opinion that the play in ummm sucks. It is a money grab to have it. They should just keep it at the top 8 teams.

The lakers were beyond awful this season… and even with extra spots for them… they still missed it.

And this.

[Dominator83]

The play-in is the only thing that kept them alive the last month.

[Richard Miller]

I think we can ALL agree that the Lakers have tons of talent - LeBron, AD, Russ - and deserved to make the playoffs this year.

Nope, we don't

[MagicBagley18]

Watch on YouTube

[SkyHookFTW]

The purpose of the play-in is to get the best, most exciting teams into the playoffs, instead of depending on a regular season that is filled with injury luck and early season false starts. I think we can ALL agree that the Lakers have tons of talent - LeBron, AD, Russ - and deserved to make the playoffs this year. It is only fair that the best teams have the opportunity to play in the important games. Nobody wants to see the Spurs of all teams playing for an opportunity for a playoff spot while the Lakers sit at home. So the play-ins have failed to do what they were designed to do.

What was wrong with the play-in? Simple, not enough teams invited to play. We need to expand the play-in to cover more records. While 11th best record would have been enough to include the Lakers this team, I think we should expand it to 12 just to be safe.

I have spent four hours going over different possible formats, and I have settled on this as the best one:

Game A: 5th (Jazz) vs 6th (Nuggets) - winner gets 5th seed
Game B: 7th (T-Wolves) vs 8th (Clippers) - winner gets 6th seed
Game C: 9th (Pelicans) vs 10th (Spurs) - winner gets 7th seed
Game D: 11th (Lakers) vs 12th (Kings) - winner gets 8th seed

In my new improved format, the play-in tournament is only one game, providing more excitement for everyone. It also creates more incentive for teams to play hard to get the fourth best record or higher, instead of tanking to the fifth or sixth spot. And finally, you get a strong incentive to make sure you are climbing in standings from 12th best record to the 5th best record so you can compete for a higher seed. No incentives to tank except at the VERY bottom!

And best of all, we would have gotten to see an amazing Lakers-Suns matchup in the first round of these playoffs. Suns might be playing well right now, but you can never count out a team with LeBron, AD, and Russ in the playoffs! The talent is overwhelming.

What do you all think of my idea? Are there enough teams included? I was thinking maybe one more but I couldn't figure out how to make it work with an odd number of teams. Maybe someone else here can figure it out.

Bullcrap. The Lakers screwed themselves by trading away their best depth, depending on Anthony "Made of Glass" Davis to be healthy all year, and getting Westbrook. Team construction, not the play in, screwed the Lakers.

[Wallace_Wallace]

April Fools was already 2 weeks ago?

To be serious, I think all teams should get a chance make the playoffs. There is 30 teams in the NBA right now, we should put 2 more teams into the mix; I suggest a drawing from the G-League Champs, the NCAAB Champs, and then all league champs in the world (China, Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, etc.). Teams will be ranked 1-32, matchups will 1 vs 32, 2 vs 31, and so forth.

1st round will be a series of 3 games
2nd round will be a series of 5 games
3rd round to the end will be a series of 7 games

Can you imagine the revenue the NBA could generate? I could probably get a Nobel Peace Price for this idea.

[Invictus88]

The OP has to be one of the dumbest ideas I have ever seen.

I'm sure the team that is 5th in the conference would love finishing 10+ games ahead of the 12th place and then have something freaky happen (injury, covid, plane get delayed, etc); causing them to underperform for ONE game and completely miss the playoffs....

Only the very bottom 6 teams really did any serious tanking anyways this year with 10 teams per conference at least making the play-in.

Your format sucks; as did the Lakers this year. Deal with it.

Up until 3 years ago it was the top 8 teams in each conference that made the playoffs. The only whiners back then were once complaining that the West was way more competitive than the East. Welp, that's not a thing anymore. So maybe we can go back to that format so people like the OP have nothing more to say? This is why we can't have nice things...

[mj234eva]

Incredibly well written satirical post.

[danvato]

too much effort on a troll thread.

[Quattro]

https://www.si.com/nba/2021/05/03/lebron-rips-play-in-tournament-needs-to-be-fired

Haha. I guess the play in needs to be adjusted according to where the Lakers are in the standings. If they’re in 7th, the play in should be abolished. If they’re in 11th or 12th, the play in should be expanded.

[Myth]

Why are we stopping at 12th seed?

[kieferli]

Lol

[Isocleas2]

I needed this.

[JRoy]

Rather than doing all these complicated matchups, just let the major market teams like Lakers, Clippers, Knicks and Nets get into the playoff automatically, in order to maximize viewership and revenue for the NBA. Its a for profit sports entertainment show after all.

Hm that's a pretty good idea. Maybe we could set up a market for them to buy wins off other teams at the end of the season.

Oh you’re good

[Jakay]

I just don't see why you stopped at 12 teams. If the league expanded, all eight seedings could be a one game playoff. Memphis could be playing a do or die with Houston RIGHT NOW to determine who gets the second seed.