Here’s thoughts from a 2 time GM (seasons 2 and 3 I believe), who had playoff teams both times, and one of the best teams in year 2 (there were no playoffs then right?) and a first round playoff exit team in year 3.
(I didn’t really pay attention this year, so if you did some new things I’m not aware of, or what I talk about is outdated, please forgive me).
I think the voting process should be changed. While I like the voting by all the GMs, I really like the idea of a panel voting, and there are pros and cons going with either, so I think you should use them both, to get the best out of both worlds.
Open vote (though it will be primarily GMs). This determines the playoff teams. Although I felt the voting process was a popularity contest, and voters often focused more on the name of the GM than the team, this was more of a problem with individual matchups, the playoff teams I felt were accurate (though not necessarily the seeding). I think the least amount of argument is who’s a playoff team and who is not.
Then for playoff matchups expand it.
Open vote – same as before, if 30 people vote, and it’s 28-2 for IP over Gainesville, then IP wins the open vote.
But you combine it with a
Panel vote. I think you could depend on a 3-5 knowledgeable posters who aren’t GM’s (or even actively posting in the draft threads). It gets a fresh set of eyes, it gets people who aren’t involved in the bickering, and hopefully brings an unbiased opinion. (And maybe the commish keeps the panel a secret till after voting. Is Roy on the panel, is dark lord, is Redz? This could avoid crafting your team to a panel member’s known tastes). I actually think reaching out to other blog writers within the SB Nation family to serve on the panel would be best (like Welcome to Loud City, Blog a Bull, etc.) , I would think that would almost totally eliminate any favoritism for particular posters. I think the less involved, the better. Maybe the panel votes 2-1 for IP over Gainesville. If this happens IP advances in the playoffs no problem. But if the panel vote winner differs from the open vote, you go to the tie breaker:
NBA 2kXX simulation. I know this has been proposed before, and people have volunteered to set it up but then realize it’s way too much work to do for the whole league, but here’s why it could work. You would only do it for individual matchups that the panel and open vote disagreed on. And you wouldn’t have to set up the whole league, just 2 teams, and sim a series. This could be done relatively quickly by a volunteer(s) I would think.
So to summarize:
Open vote – anybody who wants to vote can. Even if you win 35-0, you get one point.
Panel vote – made up of a few, uninvolved, respected posters or other team’s bloggers. Even if you win the panel vote 5-0, you get one point.
Simulation vote – only for individual matchups if open vote and panel vote disagree. (Although I'm least sold on the "simulation vote” but my proposal for the separate open and panel votes needed a tie-breaker. Something else could work instead here too).