http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0413nba-playoffs-ON.html


NBA considers altering playoff seeding

Bloomberg
Apr. 13, 2006 05:30 PM

The National Basketball Association might seed its playoff teams by their regular-season records instead of rewarding division champions, the league's No. 2 official said.

The three division champions in each conference currently receive the top seeds in the postseason, in order of their records. The fourth through eighth teams then are seeded by their records, even if the mark might be better than one of the division winners.

The Dallas Mavericks, who have the second-best record in the Western Conference behind San Antonio this season, probably will be the No. 4 seed in the postseason because they play in the same division as the Spurs.

"We can probably cure the issue of the team with the second-best record being seeded fourth," Russ Granik, the NBA's deputy commissioner, said on a media conference call today.

NBA owners will discuss the change at their annual meeting next week in New York. So far, owners have had a "mixed reaction" when asked about altering the formula, Granik said. No change would take effect until at least next season.

Dallas is one victory behind San Antonio's 60 wins, compared with Northwest division-champion Denver's 44 and Pacific division-champion Phoenix's 51. The Suns would be seeded second, followed by the Nuggets, when the playoffs start April 22.

The existing structure means Dallas likely will face the defending-champion Spurs in the second round instead of the conference final.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he "absolutely" backs a change.

"There should never be even the potential for a situation where a team has an incentive to lose to improve their situation," he wrote in an e-mail.

Granik said the NBA also would consider barring teams from imposing restrictions on draft picks that are traded.

Teams often make trades that include so-called lottery protected picks. Teams that miss the playoffs are included in the lottery that determines who gets the first 14 picks in the draft. Lately, however, teams have put restrictions on other picks later in the draft.

"One problem is where you draw the line," Granik said.

If this league is booming and so fucking successful, why do they
keep trying to change things that don't need to be changed?

I don't know how many of you listen to Mike/Mike on ESPN Radio (I usually listen to Steve Czaban on Fox Sports Radio), but I wandered over to ESPN the other day on my morning commute and they were going on about how bad it is that so many "under .500 teams" are going to make the playoffs this year.

Mike Greenberg suggested that the NBA go to 4 playoff teams in each conference (3 division winners and one wildcard).

If that wasn't bad enough, he then said to keep teams from tanking the season if they weren't going to make the playoffs, he would give the #1 overall draft pick to the team that finishes with the best record that doesn't make the playoffs (the best #5 seed).

There is some crazy shit out there, fellas.

If I were in charge I'd give the top pick in the draft to the Pistons and force them to trade it.

The playoff system does need tweaking. Whether it be re-seeding like the NHL or cutting the playoffs to 4 teams, something needs to be done. It is sad that the Clippers need to lose to face the much easier Nuggets. It was even better when there was only two divisions. During the championship run, the Pistons were the 3 seed, but had homecourt against the 2nd seeded Nets.

As for the draft, I would leave that alone. No need to make the rich get richer.