50 Wins and No Playoffs - A Case for Playoff Seeding Change

[pointman]

The Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks are engaged in a heated battle for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. We could potentially see a 50-win team be excluded from the playoffs in the West while a team with less than 40 wins gets in the playoffs in the East. The Western Conference team that just misses the playoffs would likely be the 3rd or 4th seed in the East, but instead is forced to sit at home to watch a flawed collection of teams fight for a title that they should have a right to fight for themselves.

It was said that the Western conference dominance is cyclical, but if you look at the young talent base brewing in the West, you will see that it will only get stronger. The best young point guards are in the West (Chris Paul, Derron Williams, Parker), most of the best young bigs (Stoudemire, Ming, Jefferson, Bynum, Boozer, Biedrins, Odom), and both current and rising stars that will be around for a long time (Kobe, McGrady, Roy, Durant, Ellis, Davis, Nowitzki, Anthony, Aldridge, etc.)

The west is a beast and it is unfair that we will likely see a repeat of this year's playoff race dilemma for years to come.

It's time for a change, David Stern. Revamp the existing playoff season in favor of one that will allow the best of the NBA to compete for the title. Warriors telecast man, Bob Fitzgerald put together a brilliant plan that not only fixes the current playoff system, but also addresses the current conference alignment and how to make it more schedule/travel friendly for all NBA teams.....


http://mindofmullin.blogspot.com/2008/03/50-wins-and-no-playoffs-case-for.html

[Texas Longhorns]

Ok, how many threads are we going to have about the same repetitive talk? THEY AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING, Stern sure has hell doesn't read blogs. Even if he did, I highly doubt he would change his mind over a blog.

[Albanian Damien]

This type thing happens once in a while. A good team doesn't make the Playoffs because of the rest of the conference being dominant. If it hasn't changed until now it certainly wont change in the near future.

[dockingsched]

who cares about this. the league shouldn't have to change for the 9th best team in the conference. you can't make the top eight, stop complaining.

[NetsForce]

Personally I like the fact that the Nets have had everything that could go wrong go wrong this year and they're still not out of the playoff race.

This system rocks like Pizza Hutt breadsticks.

[pointman]

who cares about this. the league shouldn't have to change for the 9th best team in the conference. you can't make the top eight, stop complaining.

When a sub .500 team makes the playoffs over a 50-win team, something needs to be changed. The plan makes sense if you are interested in getting the best teams and watching the best basketball in the post season.

This proposed change also allows for fantastic matchups between East and West - ones that we wouldn't see otherwise except for in a Finals matchup.

Who would you rather see? Hawks or Dallas? No one cares about the Hawks except Hawk fans. Dallas with Dirk will be a much more entertaining playoff bracket to follow.

[TheSheriff]

Play your schedule. the team that misses the playoffs in the west isn't going to win the title anyway, so it really doesn't matter anyway and they get a better draft pick out of it.

But that bracket is nice because the NBA's two best teams (the Celtics and Pistons) won't play each other until the finals.

[amcoolio]

-= original quote snipped =-



When a sub .500 team makes the playoffs over a 50-win team, something needs to be changed. The plan makes sense if you are interested in getting the best teams and watching the best basketball in the post season.

This proposed change also allows for fantastic matchups between East and West - ones that we wouldn't see otherwise except for in a Finals matchup.

Who would you rather see? Hawks or Dallas? No one cares about the Hawks except Hawk fans. Dallas with Dirk will be a much more entertaining playoff bracket to follow.

Hawks. I don't give a flying s### about Dallas or Dirk. We have been spoonfed enough Dallas from ESPN and TNT all season long. You'd have to pay me 1000 dollars to watch them play a full basketball game.

[Blame Rasho]

There is no need for change in my opinion.

[LAKESHOW]

Ok, how many threads are we going to have about the same repetitive talk? THEY AREN'T GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING, Stern sure has hell doesn't read blogs. Even if he did, I highly doubt he would change his mind over a blog.

this is written by pretty decent writter from the LA area that is assigned to the Lakers by his newspaper.

When NBA commissioner David Stern was at Staples Center last month, he opened the door to changing the league's postseason format by taking down the geographic boundaries that dictate the NBA Finals being East vs. West. This is an issue that Stern has previously swatted away with a waggling finger a la Dikembe Mutombo, who plays in the West for Houston.

Now, though, Stern is backing down. He still said the league doesn't want to change its regular-season format because of the current unbalanced schedule and the regular-season rivalries. But he brought up the notion of seeding the teams 1-16

[Latrell]

It is a good system. Look if you're in the West its very simple. You have to field a good team, that the bottom line. Everyone goes into the season knowing this...if you're in the West you'd better have a good team. Its actually better, it makes the regular season more exciting because you have better teams and a higher level of competition...Like who cares if the 35 win Atlanta Hawks will make the playoffs? They'll get smoked by Boston 4-0 in the first round anyway its not like they're going to win the championship.

Yes, I know Toronto, Philly and Washington are have worse records than the Denver Nuggets but its not like TOR/WAS and PHI are horrible teams, they're not THAT much worse than the low seeded West teams for the league to change the system..Gimme a break.

[INKtastic]

it stinks for the team who loses out, but the current system is good for the league. It adds excitement to have so many close races. Denver/Golden State/Dallas fighting for those last two spots and 5 teams fighting for that #1 seed. People aren't going to care so much if Denver/Golden State/Dallas are fighting for the 10/11/12 seeds.

The system is also set up to give repeat playoff matchups that help build rivalries which also add interest/excitement. For example, this year you could see opening rounds of Cleveland/Washington for the 3rd straight year and Phoenix/LA for the 3rd straight year. Fans look forward to those matchups.

[LAKESHOW]

as of right now, we get houston in the first round. yipeeee!

[UDRIH14]

how about the team with below 50% in the east gets to play ball and have a high draft pick than the team who has a superior record but misses out on the playoffs? = EPIC PHAIL

[Texas Longhorns]

as of right now, we get houston in the first round. yipeeee!

lol That could all change tomorrow and you could get the Suns again if they lose to the Nuggets and we win to the Kings.

[pointman]

It is a good system. Look if you're in the West its very simple. You have to field a good team, that the bottom line. Everyone goes into the season knowing this...if you're in the West you'd better have a good team.

Every team trys to field a good team, but in the West a 50 win team could miss the playoffs, while in the East they are a #3 seed with home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The West is going to be like this for a long while with superstars still in their primes, the best PG's, and the likes of Oden, Bynum, and Durant rising in the West.

When the nation shows more interest in the WC Finals than the Finals themselves, things need to change.

I don't know about you, but a round 1 matchup of Kobe vs. LeBron would sure beat Boston vs. Hawks.

[snaquille oatmeal]

is it me or does it seem like if your team plays in the East you want things to stay as they are and if your team plays in the west you want a change?

[Blame Rasho]

is it me or does it seem like if your team plays in the East you want things to stay as they are and if your team plays in the west you want a change?

Not really...

[pointman]

how about the team with below 50% in the east gets to play ball and have a high draft pick than the team who has a superior record but misses out on the playoffs? = EPIC PHAIL

Yes. Even the draft will be messed up for a while since a 50-win team will be given the 14th pick while teams struggling to reach 40 wins pick later. The cycle of Western Conf. dominace continues.

Also, the West has the best chance of landing Beasley and Rose with 4 of the 6 worst teams being from the West. 33.8% chance for the East to win #1 pick, 53.7% chance for the West.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/lottery2008/mockdraft

[Jordan45822]

No need for change period as some some other s said "Get Over It"