New NBA Playoff Format Could Be Exciting
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MIAMI (AP) - The Brooklyn Nets are on pace to finish 34-48 this season.
The Brooklyn Nets are also on pace to make the NBA playoffs.
By now it's not exactly a major news flash that the Eastern Conference isn't anywhere near as deep as the Western Conference ... or, perhaps, most wading pools.
The Nets and Miami Heat, who would both be in the playoffs if they started today with records way below .500, wouldn't be the worst teams in NBA history to make the postseason. Chicago, San Antonio and Boston have all had teams that, when combining regular-season and postseason records, have had teams make the playoffs with winning percentags of .419 or less twice.
And the Bulls, Spurs and Celtics franchises are basketball royalty.
But even they're not immune to down times.
One of the ideas that has been floated — and will likely one day happen, somehow — is for the best 16 teams to make the playoffs, regardless of conference.
So here's a look at what that playoff bracket would look like, if this season ended Sunday:
— 1. Golden State vs. 16. New Orleans.
— 2. Atlanta vs. 15. Phoenix.
— 3. Memphis vs. 14. Oklahoma City.
— 4. Houston vs. 13. Milwaukee.
— 5. Toronto vs. 12. Washington.
— 6. L.A. Clippers vs. 11. Cleveland.
— 7. Dallas vs. 10. San Antonio.
— 8. Portland vs. 9. Chicago.
Seriously, who wouldn't take that right now (except Miami and Brooklyn, who would fall off the postseason bracket in this system)?
Anthony Davis vs. the Splash Brothers in a first-round series. Chris Paul matching wits with LeBron James to open the playoffs (and everyone who follows college basketball's postseason knows an 11 seed has to beat a 6 seed every year). Bulls vs. Blazers, a rematch of NBA Finals past in an opening-round matchup.
It's not like the playoffs need to get more exciting. Last year's postseason might have been the most scintillating in league history.
But if the NBA wanted to make a change, this one seems like it would work.
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