playoff seeding

[jayC]

Remaking the flawed playoff format
by: Marc Stein
posted: Friday, February 17, 2006

Expect more on this Saturday night when Commissioner David Stern gets asked it about during his annual All-Star Game address ... but it looks as though there might be some movement on the controversial issue of playoff seedings.

Minor movement for now, yes, but movement nonetheless.

An examination of the format for seeding teams in the NBA's new six-division world was not on the agenda for Friday's Rules and Competition Committee meeting here in Houston, even with Dallas and San Antonio doomed to the hardest possible road to the NBA Finals despite their respective 60-win paces. But I'm told the issue was introduced for discussion at day's end by NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik, with a pledge to assess the current system in much greater detail at the committee's next meeting in June.

It's important to note that no change could be enacted before next season and that no alternative formats have been officially proposed yet.

However ...

The good news is that some folks on the committee, which includes a representative from each of the league's 30 teams, can see how badly we need one.

Because the top three seeds in each conference go to division winners, either the Mavericks or Spurs will be stuck with the No. 4 seed in the West no matter how many games they win. Which puts them on course to meet in the second round ... and which also makes the sixth or seventh seed in the West far more attractive than No. 5.

Possible solutions?

We repeat: They haven't gotten that far. Yet you can bet that re-seeding teams after each round of the playoffs, as seen in the NHL, is certain to be suggested.

Another idea: Keep the divisions as they are but guarantee each division winner a top-four seed instead of a top-three seed and continue to give home-court advantage in every playoff matchup to the team with the better overall record. The other spot in the top four seeds would then go to the team with the next-best record and those four teams would be seeded based on overall record.

Using that formula, based on West standings at the break, Dallas would be seeded No. 1, followed by No. 2 San Antonio, No. 3 Phoenix and No. 4 Denver. This proposal would thus ensure that winning a division still means something (for teams in the Northworst-leading Nuggets' position) but also would keep the top two teams in the conference from meeting in the second round ... as well as lessening the likelihood that a No. 5 seed (like the Clippers) would actually benefit by losing on purpose to fall to sixth or seventh.
Rip's fresh take on All-Star status

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The NBA should just eliminate seedings. The divisions really serve no purpose four of the eight teams in the playoffs are from the Southwest division. It will probably stay that way for the foreseable future.