"Fixing" the playoffs

[MacGregor78]

One of the main things that has bothered me throughout this playoffs is all the talk of how the playoffs need to be "fixed" since the west is so much better than the east and that is what is killing ratings. Well, I guess the media types don't realize that this is true in all major sports (the American League in baseball, and the AFC in the NFL) and their playoffs do just fine. So maybe the balance of power isnt the issue.

The issue is the length of time these seasons last. The NBA started 8 months ago!!!! How could any NBA executive think they are going to keep national attention over 8 freakin months. The baseball season is 2 months shorter and they play twice as many games. If the NBA shortened their season (or even just the playoffs since they last 2 months) they would maintain more interest. Maybe this is what the media should focus on instead of elaborate playoff system where all the west teams have home court and playoff games are starting at 11:00 PM.

[KFletch]

I agree-do they want to know why their ratings are down? How about NOT starting the game at 9:00pm on a weekday night. I can only stay up until half time before falling asleep.

They should follow the mentality of an 8pm start on weekdays and weekend starts.

[consigliere]

The NBA's problem is how long the playoffs are dragged out. Two freaking months to complete the playoffs is absolutely insane. Compare that to the NFL and MLB who both finish their playoffs in FOUR WEEKS.

I don't think it is fixable for as long as the playoffs run from mid-April to mid-June. The NBA Finals, IMO, should wrapup around Memorial Day or at least be starting on or around Memorial Day.

[leadpipe]

The ratings are not down because the games start at 9:00. They have spent more time and research into placing the game at the most enviable time for ratings it's not funny. They will never start earlier than 9:00 when the one team is from a later time zone, especially the bigger draw. The Eastern time zone team was small market, to make matter worse. If you had a NY vs. New Jersey final (Which I know isn't feasible) you might have an earlier start. Money controls everything.

I'm not sure we need to re-invent the wheel here as far as a ratings slide. Let's be honest. Imagine the four round of playoffs you just watched with an equivalent team to the Cavaliers in thier place, a team that you had no rooting interest. This is my opinion, but that was brutal basketball for much of the time. In the eastern conference, anyone who was watching that mess had a direct interest in one of those teams, or better things to do.

[jb]

Compelling teamns and games fix ratings, noty start tims. I WISH for all the right reasons they'd up it to 8PM tipoff. But I don't think that is the reason for the drop off.

To understand, all you need to do is compare/comntrst to the NCAA tournament. Sports are about drama and athletic excellence. The NBA format is about trying to drag it out and maximize profit. They are incompatible. Want to generate interest? Adopt what the NCAA does.

The irony is that the NBA system all but guarantees that the best team will win. But if you want fun and excitemnt, do some stuff like this.

Scrap the concept of conferences. There is no glamour at all of "east" vs "west".

The top 14 teams with the best records make the playoffs.

The bottom teams engage in a one losss & out tournament, or round robin meat grinder frenzie like March madness for two at large playoff bids while the top 14 rest for a week. I am too lazy to do the math to see which you'd have to do numbers-wise. This losers braket takes one week. Note: this does NOT affect the lottery, which is established solely on regular season record determining the 5 worst teams. Don't allow teams that are not in the bottom 5 into a lottery.

The two teams that survive the bottom bracket enter the 14 team field and there are 16 teams in the playoffs. Everyone plays a 3 game opening series in a pure seed bracket based on regular season records. Why three? It creates a possibility of drama and upsets galore without everything riding on a single game. It is a nice balance.

16 goes to 8 goes to 4 all in 3 game series' and you create a new bracket with new seeding for the final four based on the regular season records. The semi-finals move you to a 7 game series. The Finals are a 7 game series.

Bset teams should win.

Done.