George Karl's idea for changing the NBA playoffs

[westkoast]

Did anyone catch what George Karl suggested for the NBA playoffs?

Cut the regular season by 20 games, take a two week break for All-star weekend then let 20 teams battle it out one game elimination ala NCAA.

What do you guys think?  BS or could it actually add to the excitement?

[WayOutWest]

One game elimination is a really stupid idea for a professional basketball league.

[westkoast]

One game elimination is a really stupid idea for a professional basketball league.

[Flava Flav] Tell em why your mad son! [/Flava Flav]

[Reality]

Cut regular season by 20 games, good idea.  Cut it by 32 games thus 50 game reg season, better idea.

One game elimination, bad idea.  Altho it would be exciting, make for some great t.v.

[ziggy]

Cut it by 16 games.  Play teams in your division 4 times, and then a home and home against all the other teams.
All teams in the playoffs.
Give best team in each conference a bye round one.
First 2 rounds are 3 games series. 
Get to conference semi's and play 7 games series after that.

Loser in first round of the playoffs are in lottery.
Change the lottery so that it goes past first three picks, but no team call fall more than 3 spots.  That way the #14 team has a shot at the #10 pick for instance.

[westkoast]

Cut it by 16 games.  Play teams in your division 4 times, and then a home and home against all the other teams.
All teams in the playoffs.
Give best team in each conference a bye round one.
First 2 rounds are 3 games series. 
Get to conference semi's and play 7 games series after that.

Loser in first round of the playoffs are in lottery.
Change the lottery so that it goes past first three picks, but no team call fall more than 3 spots.  That way the #14 team has a shot at the #10 pick for instance.

That actually sounds like a reasonable suggestion Zig.

[ziggy]

Cut it by 16 games.  Play teams in your division 4 times, and then a home and home against all the other teams.
All teams in the playoffs.
Give best team in each conference a bye round one.
First 2 rounds are 3 games series. 
Get to conference semi's and play 7 games series after that.

Loser in first round of the playoffs are in lottery.
Change the lottery so that it goes past first three picks, but no team call fall more than 3 spots.  That way the #14 team has a shot at the #10 pick for instance.

That actually sounds like a reasonable suggestion Zig.

I take it that you are surprised, based upon my historic unreasonableness.

[JoMal]

Cut it by 16 games.  Play teams in your division 4 times, and then a home and home against all the other teams.
All teams in the playoffs.
Give best team in each conference a bye round one.
First 2 rounds are 3 games series. 
Get to conference semi's and play 7 games series after that.

Loser in first round of the playoffs are in lottery.
Change the lottery so that it goes past first three picks, but no team call fall more than 3 spots.  That way the #14 team has a shot at the #10 pick for instance.

That actually sounds like a reasonable suggestion Zig.

I take it that you are surprised, based upon historic unreasonableness.

Picking myself off the floor and having to change my shorts surprised, but hay, I'm old.

[Randy]

The only change I would like to see happen is doing away with the conference championship and going with an interconference playoff bracket.  I know that would be a HUGE change for the NBA and it would do away with the rivalry of the West vs. East (yeah, like its a rivalry these days) but the tradeoff would be WELL worth it, IMO.  We would get to see MUCH better playoff basketball from the first round:

     1. Boston
     2. Detroit
     3. San Antonio
     4. LA (Lakers)
     5. NO
     6. Houston
     7. Phoenix
     8. Dallas
     9. Utah
    10. Orlando
    11. Golden State
    12. Denver
    13. Cleveland
    14. Toronto
    15. Portland
    16. Washington

By doing it this way, several things happen: 1) we would only have ONE team in the playoffs playing under 500 ball (Washington) -- in the present format, 3 Eastern Conference teams would be playing in the first round who are under .500 ball -- I think teams would be more concerned playing against Portland than against Philly; 2) we wouldn't have the Western Conference Championship being the best series in the playoffs; and 3) all teams would have to face stiffer competition to the NBA Finals (rather than having patsy teams to beat up in the first and sometimes second round of the playoffs.

I would also like to see them do away with the emphasis of the Western/Eastern Conferences and have each team play ALL the other teams 3 times over the course of the year.  1) It would be the only way to be able to compare records (Eastern Conference teams wouldn't be able to pad their stats by beating all those weak teams in the East) and 2) we'd get to see Eastern powerhouses against Western powerhouses more -- I think that's more exciting basketball throughout the year.

[ziggy]

Here is another thought.  Kind of a take off of the English soccer model of first and second division.  Not saying I necessarily like, just an idea.

Have 3 divisions within each conference West, Central and Eastern.  Based upon last years standings you go with the following

First Divsion
West
Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors

First Division
East
Miami Heat
Toronto Raptors
New Jersey Nets
Washington Wizards
Orlando Magic

First Division
Central
Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls

Each team plays
First Division West teams play the other West teams 4 times, and the other first division teams 3 times
2 games against remaining second division
That works out to about 76 games

First 12 in 1st division automatically make the playoffs
Last 4 in first division and first 4 in second division have a play into the playoffs round which is one game do or die.  The four winners advance to give you 16 teams.  First round after do or die is a 3 game series, and after that it is a seven round series.  The second division teams that don't make the playoffs are in lottery, and the 4 teams that lose in do or die have another lottery for picks 11-14.

In doing this the league gets a lot more money for regular season TV package, because Spurs for instance would play
Dallas Mavericks (4 times)
Detroit Pistons (4 times)
Houston Rockets (4 times)
Cleveland Cavaliers (4 times)
Chicago Bulls (4 times)
Phoenix Suns (3 times)
Utah Jazz (3 times)
Denver Nuggets (3 times)
Los Angeles Lakers (3 times)
Golden State Warriors (3 times)
Miami Heat (3 times)
Toronto Raptors (3 times)
New Jersey Nets (3 times)
Washington Wizards (3 times)
Orlando Magic (3 times)
Boston  (2 games)
Portland (2 games)
That is 45 of 76 games against the best teams.  More regular season games against best teams, with playoff atmosphere.

Boston on the other hand has a cake walk regular season, but they have a one game do or die which is their big risk.
Los Angeles Clippers  (3 games)
Sacramento Kings  (3 games)
Portland Trail Blazers  (3 games)
Seattle Supersonics  (3 games)
Philadelphia 76ers  (4 games)
New York Knickerbockers  (4 games)
Charlotte Bobcats  (4 games)
Atlanta Hawks  (4 games)
NO/Oklahoma City Hornets  (3 games)
Indiana Pacers  (3 games)
Minnesota Timberwolves  (3 games)
Milwaukee Bucks  (3 games)
Memphis Grizzlies  (3 games)
First Division Teams (32 games)

I know the numbers don't work perfectly, because there is 30 teams, which throws a monkey wrench in things, but that could easily be worked out.