« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2018, 04:09:57 PM »
The last thing this league needs is more playoff teams and a longer season. I'll pass.
It's literally 1 extra day, they could even do this in the exact same amount of time as the system currently has cause they have built in so much extra rest as is and they don't want to reward the lower seeds with additional rest (Much like MLB). So the second concern isn't really valid. I would say this year in the West there are 10 teams that deserve to make playoffs. Obviously not true in east.
There are rarely 9 teams that really deserve to make the playoffs, and 10 is just crazy except in a very strange year like this one might be. I mean seriously last year the East would have had 41 and 37 wins teams and the West would have had 40 and 34 win teams with a shot at the playoffs. The year before that 42 and 41 from East and 40 and 33 from West. year before that 38 and 37 from East and 45 and 39 from West. Year before that 37 and 33 from East and 48 and 40 from West. year before that 34 and 34 from East and 43 and 41 from West.
In other words, there hasn't been a season where 2 teams that were above .500 missed the playoffs in any recent seasons and there have been at least 2 teams with wins in the mid-30's that would under this scenario. You certainly feel bad for a 48 win Phoenix team that gets left out, but the solution isn't to let a 33 win Cavs or a 37 win Knicks team in (along with a 40 win Wolves).
I was more thinking about the benefits of just watching teams that are trying to win. I agree with you that these teams don't deserve to make it. However, right now literally half the games teams are trying to lose them and they are not worth watching. Worse still you have so many teams getting free wins cause the other team isn't trying anymore and is sitting their good players. I am all for any proposal that stops that.
This proposal wouldn't stop that though. And as you say because there are so many teams trying to lose, the 9th and 10th place teams have win totals better than they actually are or would have in a more normal non-tank year. The 9th and 10th place teams in a conference just quite frankly aren't good enough to make the playoffs. Over half the teams already make the playoffs, they don't need to add anymore.
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2023 Historical Draft - Brooklyn Nets - 9th pick
Bigs - Pau, Amar'e, Issel, McGinnis, Roundfield
Wings - Dantley, Bowen, J. Jackson
Guards - Cheeks, Petrovic, Buse, Rip