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The NBA playoffs are here!!!! Ok, let me rephrase that the nba playoffs are here…Unfortunately for David Stern and the rest of the league, ratings for the playoffs have consistently declined over the past 20 years. The decision to change the first round from a best of 5 to a best of 7 only exacerbated the problem. The motivation for this latest alteration was money. Unfortunately, it has only resulted in the playoffs being even more drawn out and tedious. Without the drama of the Lakers, or the star power of LeBron James, the playoffs fall flat on their face. There needs to be some changes or we might start seeing games getting tape-delayed again. The first change that needs to be made is seeding.
Although there is more parity this year than has been present in a decade, seeding would still make the playoffs much more palatable. In the past 6 years, a team from the Western Conference has won the Finals 5 times. Let’s go back and take a look at some of the recent “memorable” NBA Finals matchups. The 2003 NBA Finals saw San Antonio beat up the New Jersey Nets in six. Is there any question that the Los Angeles Lakers were the second best team that year? In 2002, the Lakers swept New Jersey to claim the threepeat. Just prior to their demolishing of the Nets, Los Angeles just defeated the Sacramento Kings in one of the best 7 game series of all time. Sacramento was clearly the second best team that year as well. One could even argue that last year Detroit and Indiana were the two best teams. By seeding teams due to their strength and not their conference, we would truly see the two best teams compete at the end. Seeding would also create some controversy, which would also create more buzz. Teams would gripe about who they were matched up against, and that would create even more drama. Of course, there is nothing that destroys excitement more than something that is drawn out, so my next recommendation would be to shorten the length of the playoffs.
The only thing more protracted than the NBA playoffs is graduation. There has to be a way to shorten the time-span. The solution that I would propose would be changing the format to 3-5-7-7. If the first two rounds are shortened, the games become much more important. Can you imagine how huge that win by Denver in San Antonio would have been if they were only playing three games!! The first round is normally the most lopsided affair, so why should that be the same length as the finals? The “upset factor” increases dramatically, and this would bring in the casual observer as well as the diehard fan. Even if a person hasn’t followed a game all season, everyone knows and loves the storyline of the underdog trying to take down the favorite. This is why the NCAA “do or die” format works so well. No one knows about Taylor Coppenrath or Sean May during the college basketball season, but they become instant heroes in March. If people thought that the eight seed actually had a chance to beat the top seed, people would watch. The second round is usually a more even match, so a best of 5 should do. The conference finals and championship round should stay at their current length of seven games. If the playoff rounds were reduce, the NBA and its fans would most certainly be the benefactors.
There are other minor changes that can be made, but if the ones I mentioned were implemented immediately, the NBA would see an impact. The game would get an injection of excitement and every game would be much more meaningful. It would also create a bit more controversy, which also helps the game. Even the BCS, which is riddled with errors, helps college football because of all of the buzz. Unfortunately, David Stern, the draconian commissioner of the NBA, would never allow it to happen. He is far too concerned with his self-image and legacy to make a change at this stage of his career. The NBA needs a new commissioner to take a hold of the reigns and make some things happen. Hopefully, this will happen soon, and some adjustments will be made that will make the playoffs in professional basketball much more fun to watch. Stern recently stated that “some changes may be made in due time.” Well, Mr. Commissioner, time is due!
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