NBA playoffs with the AFL finals system.

[jwint43]

I think this would be the perfect fix for the NBA playoffs with the current system geared towards half the series being snoozefests, especially with the gulf in quality at the moment between the very best and the rest. Yes 8th seed upsets do happen, but they are extremely rare.

Have the top 4 from both conferences play a qualifying best of 5 series, and the bottom 4 play the elimination series, then as we do in AFL have the 5 game series to allow the teams to get into the "prelims."

As the standings are now using the western conference we'd have

Rockets V Wolves
Warriors V Spurs

Thunder V Pelicans
Blazers V Nuggets

This would create more exciting and evenly matched series, and the abuse a top team would cop from the American sports media if they went out in straight sets would be amazing. It also gives the lower seeded teams playoff experience and a chance for an exciting series without getting their asses handed to them by the warriors/rockets and having them just make up the numbers. The conference finals and the finals themselves can be proper 7 game series and with the extra round(the semis) there'd still end up being a similar amount of games. Would never happen though because Americans would hate any idea of a team getting a second chance for losing a series.

 

[fidstar]

The current system they have in perfectly fine.

Nothing personal, but the system you suggest it terrible.

If the Rockets and Warriors were to win the first round they would then have 2 weeks off as the second round happens. Teams don't want that.

You don't need the second chance thing because everything is a best of 7. Second chances are only really valid if they were one off games (much like the AFL).

 

[Dez!]

Playing the 8th seed is a reward for being the best regular season team in your conference, gotta give the regular season some sort of meaning.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I've always hated the conference system because it doesn't guarantee the best two teams playing off for the title. Too many times we've seen the highlight of the playoffs being either the Eastern or Western Conference final with the Championships an anti-climax.

It'll never change though.

 

[fidstar]

I've always hated the conference system because it doesn't guarantee the best two teams playing off for the title. Too many times we've seen the highlight of the playoffs being either the Eastern or Western Conference final with the Championships an anti-climax.

It'll never change though.

This one actually has a chance of happening.

 

[Scotland]

NBA playoff series are best of 7. Would be silly for the Warriors to sweep the Spurs 4-0 then wait around for weeks waiting for their next opponent after a couple of series go to 6 or 7.

Geez the Eastern Conference looks wrong with Chicago, Orlando, NY, Charlotte, Detroit all outside the playoff spots. East was king in the 90s, good to see GSW, Cleveland, TWolves, Toronto etc. among the top teams.