Playoffs - too long???

[bluemj32]

The two issues I have and this is what my eyes are telling me:

1. 1st round - it seems like the first 2 games of a series are played within a 2-3 day span, and then the rest of the series, you get these long breaks in between so the first round ends up going almost 2.5 weeks if it goes a full 7 and then if its a sweep, the team has almost a week off between games.

2. NBA Finals - Games 1 and 2 should be played every other day, and then you only get the 2 day rest period when they're about to travel out.

Edit: It wouldn't shock me if the NBA pushes the start to the season another week into October. I think it's scheduled for 10/21 for next year, but I remember they use to open the season around Halloween time. I think their goal should be to have something going through mid-July until football season picks up.

I like this finals approach

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[azcatz11]

They will never change the finals format. Their goal is to mimic the NFL and have year round stuff. After the finals end, we jump right in to the draft and summer league follows that for a month. There is literally only 2 months off from NBA basketball on TV.

I would prefer the finals every other day also but I'd rather have basketball on especially during June + July when there are no other sports except baseball which is a drag.

[wegotthabeet]

They're great. There is a certain charm about do or die March Madness style format but there's nothing quite like the chess match and swings of a 7 game series. It's the best.

They could do both!

8 Playoff Teams = Top 6 regular season records + play-in winner + IST winner

Play-in = 16 teams single elimination (8-23)

Three best of 7 rounds + one single elimination tournament/round.

[Astaluego]

Yes, and the regular season has too many games... in the regular season there would be 58 games for each team, one at home and one away... 2 games per week... the best-of-5 playoffs. I think that would be a premium product, with fewer injuries and longer races.

[90sAllDecade]

Guys have to heal lol.

The playoffs and especially the finals are some of the most intense, physically and mentally taxing games guys ever play in their careers.

They're human beings not robots, I'm fine with letting them rest as it is for quality games. Rather than rush them for fans and guys/stars having potentially higher injury rates.

[Raps in 4]

Just get rid of the play-in and go back to 16 playoff teams. Problem solved.

[Optms]

I never had an issue with playoff scheduling before Silver. This wasn't a thing to complain about under Stern.

Yes, 3 days rest time is ridiculous. This entire playoffs have been handled horrifically. From officiating, scheduling, award ceremony, marketing, etc. I cannot name one good thing about that Silver has control of.

[DwayneSchintzus]

This may sound crazy, but some of us actually LIKE the NBA

We don’t want 70 game seasons or shorter playoffs. We like watching NBA players play games. Like, more than we enjoy listening to SAS or Shams.

[Bad Guy]

Hard to say, what could be better. I think the fans are getting better quality basketball when players are rested and coaches as well as staff have more time to prep a game plan. Additionally, there are fairer odds when in the next round 4 game and 7 game teams meet, the fatigue plays lesser role.

The bigger issue with longer off season could be that International players are usually also the main stars in their national teams, thus having less time to rest for the international competitions and then go straight to the next nba season, thus increasing strain on bodies and injury risk.

[HMFFL]

The 3 days between games in the Finals is way too long, there's no justifiable reason to have the series prolonged to this extent. It absolutely does cause casual fans to lose interest and kills the momentum of the series.

It's very simple.
Maximizing TV ratings is key for contracts.
The Stanley Cup is going on.

[___Rand___]

Regular season is wayyyyyyyyyy too long.

[Anticon]

I can understand the logic of three days breaks with travel.

But I have lost interest this late in the spring and am already turning to the draft. The NCAA tournament lasts a month, with games clustered over 2 to 4 days on weekends.

The playoffs are great early on, as it's like that with multiple great games per night every day. By the time the finals roll around, I personally have lost the energy for a 7 game series and lose interest if the games are more than two days apart. Having no Friday or Saturday, or weekend daytime games doesn't help either.

Having more weekend games, a more compressed first and second round, and seeing if there's a way to avoid three day breaks after the first four games would be good. Going back to the 2-3-2 format wouldn't be good, about some other travel compromise or change to start time (like daytime weekend games) might work.

[Nate505]

I think they are. In my world, the first two rounds would be 3 of 5, or at least go back to the first round being 3 of 5.

Ironically though, I think the Jazz back in the Stockton/Malone days would have fared better in a 4/7 series. They really seemed to get bitten by the 3/5 format a few times.

[Nate505]

I think overall the length is fine but it's the Finals that take too long. I don't think we need multiple 2 day breaks between games, personally.

The Finals format is non-sensical to me. I remember when the Finals were just like on three days: Either Wednesday/Friday/Sunday or Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday, and the Finals would start on Wednesday or Tuesday. Then there was just a two day wait between games 2 and 3 and games 5 and 6.

That format worked pretty perfectly with the 2-3-2 format...which is probably a real unpopular opinion, but I would prefer to see that format back.

[Joshyjess]

And...wait for it.... 3 more days!!!!

[Ice Man]

I'm gonna change my earlier answer, which was that yes the playoffs are too long. I realized that's not the issue. It's the lack of games. In the playoffs, we go from 3 or even 4 games per day to 2 games per day to 1 game per day. And then pffft ... the Finals arrive and it's a break until they start and then (mostly) 1 game every 3 days. At which point my attention wanders.

[jefe]

Between posters calling for shorter regular seasons and now calling for shorter playoffs, I wonder if most of this board even likes basketball.

[nomansland]

I hated how compact the playoffs were, especially now to see the finals dragging out for what seems like weeks. Seems to me the NBA is trying to get the finals end very close to the draft so that they stay in front of the media. So I voted too long, but on the basis what's happening in the finals.

[JujitsuFlip]

And...wait for it.... 3 more days!!!!

https://denversports.com/nba/denver-nuggets/gordon-calls-more-rest/2121149

You're criticizing something that the players directly disagree with you about.

Do you want a better product or just a game every other day?

The Pacers had a players only camp before the official training camp opened. These guys have been playing high intensity ball for 9 months now. If they need an additional day, i think it's okay.

[Chuck Everett]

Between posters calling for shorter regular seasons and now calling for shorter playoffs, I wonder if most of this board even likes basketball.

Less basketball, more transactions. 2K in real life.