LeBron - Creator of Play-In Tournament 'Needs to Be Fired'

[Frank Dux]

I agree with Lebron. The 8th seed should be a hard cut off.

Look at the East, a team 10 games under .500 in a lousy conference still has a chance to make the playoffs due to the play-in

[NyKnicks1714]

the play-in exists solely to make it easier to rig. It applies to all sports that have expanded their playoff seeds. This allow leagues to ensure the teams (and players) they want to be in the playoffs, will be. Teams can rest their stars and blow the regular season off or withstand unlucky injuries but know that they're guaranteed to move on via the play-in or because there are more playoff teams. It cheapens everything and makes regular seasons pointless and a joke.

So are you hoping the Kings fail to advance? After all it would be a joke if the Kings made the playoffs. It would cheapen everything. Your words.

[KembaWalker]

Just because they wouldn’t have needed it by the skin of their teeth doesn’t mean the league didn’t expand the post season to make sure

This whole system exists just in case the seedings flipped and a team like the Pelicans would have landed 8th that the league has the opportunity to kick them out of the playoffs for a team /player they prefer

They aren’t gonna let potentially one game in the standings of cost them hundreds of millions in extra revenue

[xdrta+]

The play-in has worked out better than some other things the NBA has tried. More teams involved, more fans involved, etc. Silly quote from years ago.

[durden_tyler]

More games means more money. Live with it.

[MrGoat]

I agree with Lebron. The 8th seed should be a hard cut off.

Look at the East, a team 10 games under .500 in a lousy conference still has a chance to make the playoffs due to the play-in

Back in the days of some of those extremely weak Easts LeBron used to feed on it was a common occurrence for the 8 seed in the East to be well under .500

If he's so afraid of Denver then tank the game against the Pelicans and take your chances in the next game. If you didn't want to be in a bad situation then you should have gotten better than an 8 seed.

[Charlesareed]

They actually have. They would have made the playoffs without the play in tournament those 3 years, likely with a better matchup this year. I'm seeing this floating around a lot today and people are saying "LA has been in the play in all these years, they're lucky it's a thing". Turns out, they would have been better off without it

He hand picked that roster he has to live with the facts
Fact is that team is not that good he’s played 75% of the games thus season AD played in 70ish games for the first time ever and the best the can do is the 8th seed that’s all we need to know about this lakers team

Another fact is Lebron is finally learning what we been knew about the wild Wild West is that it’s always been stacked even the 678 seeds have between 48-50 wins every season 2020 was a down year for the west plus covid happened so he got lucky twice in the same season and win a Mickey Mouse championship


Also it was all fun and games when his team was a top 4 seeded team he was fine with it up until his team sucked and had to be in the play in in 3 out of 4 seasons since he mad that remark about the play in he needs to shut up and dribble

[KyRo23]

They actually have. They would have made the playoffs without the play in tournament those 3 years, likely with a better matchup this year. I'm seeing this floating around a lot today and people are saying "LA has been in the play in all these years, they're lucky it's a thing". Turns out, they would have been better off without it

He hand picked that roster he has to live with the facts
Fact is that team is not that good he’s played 75% of the games thus season AD played in 70ish games for the first time ever and the best the can do is the 8th seed that’s all we need to know about this lakers team

Another fact is Lebron is finally learning what we been knew about the wild Wild West is that it’s always been stacked even the 678 seeds have between 48-50 wins every season 2020 was a down year for the west plus covid happened so he got lucky twice in the same season and win a Mickey Mouse championship


Also it was all fun and games when his team was a top 4 seeded team he was fine with it up until his team sucked and had to be in the play in in 3 out of 4 seasons since he mad that remark about the play in he needs to shut up and dribble

You used some nice LeBron hate cringe phrases in this ridiculous rant . Congrats. You need help.

"hand picked"
"mickey mouse championship"
"shut up and dribble"

So original. You disproved absolutely nothing that I said and went off on a weird rant that I'm sure you've typed out a thousand times before.

The facts are the Lakers haven't needed the play in to make the playoffs, which was my point, and frankly the only point that matters in this thread

[hauntedcomputer]

As a geezer having to play an extra game or two, he hates it. When he's an owner cashing checks, he'll want to expand it.

[Charlesareed]

They actually have. They would have made the playoffs without the play in tournament those 3 years, likely with a better matchup this year. I'm seeing this floating around a lot today and people are saying "LA has been in the play in all these years, they're lucky it's a thing". Turns out, they would have been better off without it

He hand picked that roster he has to live with the facts
Fact is that team is not that good he’s played 75% of the games thus season AD played in 70ish games for the first time ever and the best the can do is the 8th seed that’s all we need to know about this lakers team

Another fact is Lebron is finally learning what we been knew about the wild Wild West is that it’s always been stacked even the 678 seeds have between 48-50 wins every season 2020 was a down year for the west plus covid happened so he got lucky twice in the same season and win a Mickey Mouse championship


Also it was all fun and games when his team was a top 4 seeded team he was fine with it up until his team sucked and had to be in the play in in 3 out of 4 seasons since he mad that remark about the play in he needs to shut up and dribble

You used some nice LeBron hate cringe phrases in this ridiculous rant . Congrats. You need help.

"hand picked"
"mickey mouse championship"
"shut up and dribble"

So original. You disproved absolutely nothing that I said and went off on a weird rant that I'm sure you've typed out a thousand times before.

The facts are the Lakers haven't needed the play in to make the playoffs, which was my point, and frankly the only point that matters in this thread

It’s not a rant it’s the truth Lebron has picked his teammates for the past 10-12 years/seasons the 2020 nba championship was a gimmick tbh the west was weak then it’s ever been then the league shut down because if Covid all nba players didn’t play in the bubble

Yes it’s true 2 out of 3 seasons the lakers didn’t need to play in to make the playoffs but that’s the way the league is setup nowadays the team is trash that’s why there in the play in they are a bad team that’s why they are the 7th seed vs because in the top 3-4 seed


I don’t hate Lebron because I don’t personally know him but I hate everything he stands for as picking his teammates jumping from team to team chasing both MJ & Kobe

[JonFromVA]

So, working exactly as planned?

The whole idea was to make teams actually care about the regular season and battle for a higher seed not just sneak in to the playoffs and then start trying.

Hey LeBron, This rule is for you!

[Froob]

Well don’t end up in 7 or 8 every year. Problem solved.

[OriginalRed]

They should rename the Play-In tournament the 'Lebron Invitational' as he seems to be in it every year.

[dc]

So, working exactly as planned?

The whole idea was to make teams actually care about the regular season and battle for a higher seed not just sneak in to the playoffs and then start trying.

Hey LeBron, This rule is for you!

Teams have always battled for high seeds. A big reason the Warriors won 73 games was because they wanted the #1 seed and the Spurs (who won a franchise record 67 that year) were right on their tail up until the end of the year. Also in 2007-2008, the Warriors won 48 games, finished 9th in the west and missed the playoffs. Not having a play in didn't make them not try.

I myself am OK with the play in. The only situation I'd find it ridiculous is (for example) if the 8th seed is a 46 win team while the 9th seed is a 38 win team, something like that.

[UcanUwill]

As a fan of it. I think the only real argument against it in my view. Number one number two seeds not knowing their actual opponent until last minute, which, no matter how you cut is, is a disadvantage to some degree.

[JonFromVA]

So, working exactly as planned?

The whole idea was to make teams actually care about the regular season and battle for a higher seed not just sneak in to the playoffs and then start trying.

Hey LeBron, This rule is for you!

Teams have always battled for high seeds. A big reason the Warriors won 73 games was because they wanted the #1 seed and the Spurs (who won a franchise record 67 that year) were right on their tail up until the end of the year. Also in 2007-2008, the Warriors won 48 games, finished 9th in the west and missed the playoffs. Not having a play in didn't make them not try.

I myself am OK with the play in. The only situation I'd find it ridiculous is (for example) if the 8th seed is a 46 win team while the 9th seed is a 38 win team, something like that.

Not always and as LeBron hit his mid-30's he cut back on the effort he gave on on defense in the regular season and settled for more jumpers on offense. He preferred to save himself for the playoffs and would start to ramp up his effort a couple of weeks in advance happy to take his chances regardless of seeding.

btw, even in your example, I wouldn't think it ridiculous if the 46-win team was falling apart due to injuries and the 38 win team was finishing the season strong. Sure it sucks for the top seed who can't plan their first round so easily to be a cakewalk, but it's better for everyone else.

[cgf]

I can live with that for the west this year since the standings were very tight but in the east it's ridiculous!

I mean, no way Chicago and Atlanta deserve to have a chance to make the playoffs...Same thing for the Pelicans in 2022 when they were 36-46

The play-in is good for the show and good for the ratings and for the money but it's not really fair when we can see random teams who were very mediocre for 82 games have a chance to make the playoffs with a little 2 game winning streak

If the Bulls beat Miami or Philly for a spot, then why wouldn't they deserve it? They've been 34-29 since their 5-14 start and have been very scrappy...losing a lot of close games against better teams...despite missing their most talented player for most of the season.

Teams like the Bulls and Hawks not joining the tank race 10-15 games ago is exactly what the Play-In is for. Out west the Kings and Pelicans would've been fighting for a playoff spot with or without it.

[Homer38]

I can live with that for the west this year since the standings were very tight but in the east it's ridiculous!

I mean, no way Chicago and Atlanta deserve to have a chance to make the playoffs...Same thing for the Pelicans in 2022 when they were 36-46

The play-in is good for the show and good for the ratings and for the money but it's not really fair when we can see random teams who were very mediocre for 82 games have a chance to make the playoffs with a little 2 game winning streak

If the Bulls beat Miami or Philly for a spot, then why wouldn't they deserve it? They've been 34-29 since their 5-14 start and have been very scrappy...losing a lot of close games against better teams...despite missing their most talented player for most of the season.

Teams like the Bulls and Hawks not joining the tank race 10-15 games ago is exactly what the Play-In is for. Out west the Kings and Pelicans would've been fighting for a playoff spot with or without it.

The first 19 games for the bulls matter too.I could take away the struggles the Lakers had from mid December until the end of January and their record would be great but it doesn't work like that

[TheGeneral99]

The play-in was one of the best decisions the league has ever made.

It forces teams to compete at the end of the season.

In the West this year there was a 3 game gap between the 5th seed and the 10th seed. Only fair that teams like the Kings and Warriors have a chance.

[TheGeneral99]

I agree with Lebron. The 8th seed should be a hard cut off.

Look at the East, a team 10 games under .500 in a lousy conference still has a chance to make the playoffs due to the play-in

Lmao, the Lakers were 1 game away from falling to the 10th seed and Lebron would be saying he loves the play-in.

Ridiculous.