How would the NBA Playoffs unfold in a single elimination tournament?
By Daniel Tran
The NBA Playoffs are about a week away, and all this writer can think about is the NCAA Tournament. Wait a minute…
The NCAA Tournament is better! It produces drama through unpredictability and love for one’s teammates.
The NBA Playoffs are better! It features the most talented ballers in the world playing for the most coveted prize in all of basketball in a test of will and tenacity.
At this point, the argument between the two schools of thought are no more valid than a man arguing with himself to pass the time in his bath tub. Oddly specific? Maybe, but it was only so I could unleash this classic clip into the article.
Both the NCAA Tournament and the NBA Playoffs have their merits, and neither should be compared with the other because it’s basically apples and oranges on what kind of competition each is.
This, however, will not stop me from asking the same question that is asked when a polygamist has to make a choice between two partners: why not both?
The NBA has the best basketball players in the world, and the NCAA Tournament provides one of the most exciting and unpredictable formats in all of sports. Marry the two together and you would have one of the most riveting and, at times, controversial postseasons ever.
In order to complete this fantasy, parameters need to be set. Much like the previous playoff tweak we explored, only the 16 top teams in the NBA in terms of record will make the field. The teams will then be divided up into two different brackets that will converge at the championship game.
As of today, the playoff picture would look like this:
The Los Angeles Clippers are currently tied with the Houston Rockets in terms of win percentage, but the Clippers have the better conference record. This is the same case with the Cleveland Cavaliers being seeded higher than the Portland Trail Blazers, the Toronto Raptors on top of the Chicago Bulls, and the New Orleans Pelicans edging the Oklahoma City Thunder in seeding.
The fairest venue for these games to be played would be a neutral site where both teams (and of course the NBA) would share the revenue generated by these games. But when has the NBA ever been about being fair?
The top-seeded teams earned their right to play at home during the season and they should flex that muscle during the playoffs in a NIT-style format where the higher seed of the two competing teams gets to play on their home court; at least for the first two rounds. These are grown men, and they should not be intimidated by going on the road and winning in another team’s barn.
Like the NIT, the semifinal and final round will be held at the neutral site, most likely a football stadium (NOT DOME) in order to fit everyone who wants to witness the hype of a pressure-packed one-and-done game for the NBA Championship. Let the games begin.
Next: First Round