What would some legacies look like if the NBA Finals were single elimination like the Superbowl?

[sp6r=underrated]

If the NBA Playoffs was single elimination you'd see:

1. Less Tanking since the odds of winning a title if you make the playoffs goes way up.
2. the average quality of NBA champions going down
3. Less correlation between RS and PS performance

One thing that wouldn't change is the ring counter culture. Fans would still pretend the single elimination tournament is the acid test

[Owly]

You have no idea of what you are talking about.

I suspect you have no idea what they are talking about. Which is different.

Bulls lost 1st game in '91 finals (Lakers)
1st game in '92 ECSF (Knicks)
'... 93 ECF (Knicks)
... '98 Finals (Jazz)
[Didn't check all series (just 1st ones coming to mind each year, didn't check for counter-examples in 96, 97) so this may not be comprehensive.]
This is what is being said.

You can certainly question the relevance (OP notes an obvious flaw in that very opening post - a second similar one to the extension of this system to all rounds in the third post) or value of this process.

But I would think reading the thread, understanding the central conceit, that within that context it's fairly clear what they are talking about.

To be clear, this scenario is only for the Finals. So the Bulls make the Finals in '92 and '93 as they did IRL and then win.

Otherwise who'd win in '92 and '93?

In your scenario. In the one by Homer38 embedded in this discussion and just disappearing out of this quote chain was about "every series". As you imply those years would (in this exercise) have unknown winners because we would have some series that never happened so no G1 data to go on.

[Doctor MJ]

Interesting thread. Made me think about two things:

1. In the WNBA, there's a continued history of single elimination games. In the first year, 1997, both the semis and the finals were single elimination. And in that first year, the 34 year old Cooper played almost the entirety of the 40 minute games, scored 44.4 points per 100 possessions on 66.9% TS for a PER of 47.6. Cooper would lead her team (Houston Comets) to 4 straight championships with 4 straight Finals MVPs until she retired at 37.

More recently, the player with the tendency to win these single elimination games is the player arguably most like Cooper since Cooper: Diana Taurasi. Now, only reason you're playing single elimination game is because your team didn't have an elite record in the regular season, and we're not talking about a situation where Taurasi is then leading her team on to championships in these years, so we're not talking - I think - of Taurasi necessarily being the best player in the single elimination in the WNBA, let alone the best playoff player, but I think we definitely saw enough to see that Taurasi is able to consistently raise here game in the playoffs.

In terms of players we'd compare Cooper & Taurasi too, I feel like Michael Jordan is the place to start. When you know your main job is to get buckets, and you're someone with right mind state, I think there's a simplicity to more individually oriented scoring roles that might help you be the one most consistently at your best from the jump.

2. Not what was being asked, but the focus on Game 1 made me do a query. By basketball-reference's BPM, here are the top Game 1 players who have played at least 10 Game 1's:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Chris Paul
3. LeBron James
4. Kawhi Leonard
5. Tim Duncan
6. Charlie Ward
7. Andre Miller
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo
9. Steph Curry
10. Allen Iverson

That makes it easy to search for Game 7's which are the ultimate single eliminations. Obviously players play a lot less of those. Jordan played 3, so I dropped the query down to a 3 game minimum. Note that this makes noise much more of an issue. Same metric:

1. LeBron James
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Michael Jordan
4. Kevin Durant
5. John Stockton
6. Alonzo Mourning
7. Manu Ginobili
8. Pau Gasol
9. Steph Curry
10. Steve Smith

And other players from the original top 10 I listed:

25. Giannis Antetokounmpo
42. Chris Paul
59. Tim Duncan
66. Kawhi Leonard

(Ward, Miller & Iverson didn't show up - believe they didn't play enough - 3 - Game 7's)

[DQuinn1575]

Jordan would just 2 rings(1996 and 1997) if every series was just a one game series.

You have no idea of what you are talking about.

I suspect you have no idea what they are talking about. Which is different.

Bulls lost 1st game in '91 finals (Lakers)
1st game in '92 ECSF (Knicks)
'... 93 ECF (Knicks)
... '98 Finals (Jazz)
[Didn't check all series (just 1st ones coming to mind each year, didn't check for counter-examples in 96, 97) so this may not be comprehensive.]
This is what is being said.

You can certainly question the relevance (OP notes an obvious flaw in that very opening post - a second similar one to the extension of this system to all rounds in the third post) or value of this process.

But I would think reading the thread, understanding the central conceit, that within that context it's fairly clear what they are talking about.

And they may win 89

[DoctorX]

Tim Duncan would have 6 rings instead of 5.