The Real Reason the NBA Needs to Seed the Playoffs 1–16
The conferences are incredibly uneven in the NBA these days, especially now that LeBron has moved into the West. We’ve all seen the stats, and yes, the talent is incredibly lopsided. However, there is one underrated reason why the NBA should let conferences go and seed the playoffs 1–16.
Does the regular season even matter? This question has come up far too much in conversations about the NBA over the last couple years. Since Kevin Durant “ruined the NBA”, Golden State has been the presumptive favorite. In the 2016–17 season, the Warriors faced very few challenges, and last season, 17–18, the only challenge they faced was the Rockets, who took them to seven games and could’ve beaten them if it weren’t for a CP3 hamstring and/or 27 straight missed threes. Then, come the Finals, Golden State swept Cleveland relatively effortlessly. It was anti-climatic. Only Houston had a real chance at upsetting them.
However, if the NBA were to ignore the conferences, this would change. Instead of the semifinals, the Warriors and Rockets would’ve played in the Finals. This would’ve made things far more interesting. The Finals would really be the best two teams matched up.
There’s more.
Over LeBron’s seasons in Cleveland, he didn’t really need to try until the Finals. This phenomenon reached its climax this past season, when the Cavs fell all the way to the four seed, and still made the Finals with only one long series in the East. There hasn’t been enough competition in the East to really challenge LeBron. However, if the playoffs were 1–16, teams like the Cavs would be incentivized to try during the regular season. Let’s take last year as an example. There were three elite teams — Warriors, Rockets, and Cavs. You could argue the Cavs don’t belong, but that’s beside the point. The point is, only two of those teams can make the Finals. This means two of them will meat in the semifinals, while the other would get to play Toronto or something.
If the NBA didn’t use the conferences for seeding, regular season record would matter far more than it does. The Warriors and Rockets would have a season-long race for the 1 seed, and the other would play Cleveland in the semis. How fun would that be to watch? One of the biggest issues in the NBA is the fact that the regular season hardly matters. This would fix that problem, no questions asked.
Is there a downside? The only argument I’ve heard is the tradition of an East vs. West Finals. Yes, there is some tradition there. It may seem odd to see Lakers/Celtics in the first or second round. And it could seem odd to see Warriors/Rockets in the Finals. But these are small potatoes. This is the right move. Let’s use last season as an example and take a look at the matchups.
First Round
Rockets vs. Bucks
Raptors vs. Heat
Warriors vs. Nuggets
Celtics vs. Wolves
Sixers vs. Spurs
Cavs vs. Pelicans
Blazers vs. Pacers
Thunder vs. Jazz
Second Round
Rockets vs. Jazz
Raptors vs. Blazers/Pacers
Warriors vs. Cavs (!!)
Celtics vs. Sixers
Semifinals
Rockets vs. Celtics
Raptors vs. Warriors
Finals
Warriors vs. Rockets
As you see, the Cavs would’ve played the Warriors in ROUND TWO going off last year’s standings. Of course, had the seeding been 1–16, they would’ve tried harder, and maybe gotten up to the 3–4 seed. Anyway, the point is, this would create tons of intriguing matchups in the first couple rounds, and reward regular season record, while also creating the semifinal and finals matchups that truly reflect who the NBA’s elite teams are.
