Does anyone else think that the NBA playoffs would be better if they switched to an MLB format? It would just be the winners from each division and then one wildcard. This would not only make the regular season more competitive, but also eliminate the possibility of sub-.500 teams making the playoffs. There should not be more than half of the entire league in the postseason anyway.
Of course I realize that this would probably never happen, because there's far too much money involved to cut an entire round out of the playoffs. I also realize that this first round is probably the most exciting round in years and would not be possible under the proposed format. What we're seeing now is not typical and the postseason is just too long, especially with some games being 3 days apart.
The upset scenario is almost nonexistent these days, unless there is a major injury on the higher seeded team. In a 7 game series the better team almost always dominates. If an underdog wants to prove themselves, they already have 82 games to do so.
I definitelly disagree. I don't think this year is atypical at all. Obviously we have our great Celtics/Bulls series, but you also have Orlando/Philly and Houston/Portland series, and you have series like these every year. In 2008 you had Boston/Atlanta going to 7, and in 2007 you had Golden State upsetting Dallas. Also 3 years in a row you had Cleveland/Washington which developed into a good rivalry (which never would have happened baseball-style). In 2006 you had that great Phoenix/LAL series in the first round and #8 seeded Kings taking the Spurs to 6 games. People already mentioned you wouldn't have Houston winning it all as a 6 seed in 95. Let's not forget we wouldn't have Jordan putting in 63 in true classic in '86. Also the Knicks going to the Finals as an #8 seed in '99 and the great Heat/Knicks rivalries from the 90's. All never would have happened without 16 teams in the playoffs.
An NFL style bye for good teams definitely wouldn't work. Teams complain now when they get too much time off between games and get rusty. Think if a team got 2 to 2 1/2 weeks off before they started the playoffs. Think how out of sync they would be then.
In baseball, the playoffs are elite. Because so few teams get in, the end of the regular season is some of the most competitive play in any sport. September becomes its own playoff series in a sense.
Baseball regular season more competitive? I don't agree with this at all. Because it's only competitive for so few teams. If you're a Red Sox or Yankees fan it's great because it they're always in the hunt, but that is not true for most other teams in the league. Also baseball can't be individually dominated like basketball can. Like Jordan going up against the entire Celtics team in '86. Iverson and LeBron single handedly carrying their teams to the Finals in 2001 and 2007. Any team with a very good player can be a threat. I don't see how the playoffs being more "elite" makes it better. Besides fans love the underdog.
As someone already mentioned, quadruple headers on Saturday and Sunday are great, but I agree the first round does seem to drag a little with too much time in between games. Pre-2000 it wasn't like that though. Remeber when games aired on TBS and TNT every week night. With one station having games start at 7 and 9:30 and the other having games at 8 and 10:30. Four games almost every night in the first round. Great for the basketball fan, not so great for the ratings though. I would love for the NBA to go back to this format. It would make the first round run a lot smoother.
Topic: Switch to MLB-style playoffs (Read 3806 times)