Strange aspect of NBA basketball

[ZenMaster]

and American sports in general I guess is the conference system the leagues are based on.

NBA teams from the East and Western conferences play a lot of games against each other through the regular season. The games matter, in a way just as much as the intra-conference games, yet ultimately they don't matter at all since the playoffs is where it all gets settled and it's only west vs west / east vs east except for one(!!) series every year.

There is something very strange about watching a west 7th seed vs the east equivelant, the player matchups it includes can be used for next to nothing.

Hopefully Silver will remove this outdated system which includes a bunch of games that really has no meaning except for filling out a spreadsheet.

[oarabbus]

Silver has already stated his intentions to change up the playoff format, I think.

BTW you mean to say "intra-conference games". Inter-conference games are East vs West, Intra is within the same conference

[ZenMaster]

Silver has already stated his intentions to change up the playoff format, I think.

BTW you mean to say "intra-conference games". Inter-conference games are East vs West, Intra is within the same conference

I hope you are right, the information is few and far between. Rightfully so as he can't really talk about it until it's about to change. And thank you for correcting my error :)

[KevinNYC]

and American sports in general I guess is the conference system the leagues are based on.

NBA teams from the East and Western conferences play a lot of games against each other through the regular season. The games matter, in a way just as much as the intra-conference games, yet ultimately they don't matter at all since the playoffs is where it all gets settled and it's only west vs west / east vs east except for one(!!) series every year.

There is something very strange about watching a west 7th seed vs the east equivelant, the player matchups it includes can be used for next to nothing.

Hopefully Silver will remove this outdated system which includes a bunch of games that really has no meaning except for filling out a spreadsheet.

So what's your actual issue? The conferences shouldn't play each other? they should play each other more?

[ZenMaster]

So what's your actual issue? The conferences shouldn't play each other? they should play each other more?

That teams should be mixed in the playoffs as well.

Like watching the Rockets at Toronto now, two top teams and many good players yet the chance that these exact two teams will come out of their conferences in the same year is probably less than 1%. The only thing this game does is pass the time and how they match up doesn't really matter.

[Sarcastic]

It's not strange. Every pro sports league in the US is separated into 2 conferences/leagues, and the championship is played between the winners of each one.

It would be strange if the NBA went away from the formula that it's used since its inception, just because 2-3 teams in one conference that have 0 chance of winning anyway, feel slighted that they don't get to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

[oarabbus]

It's not strange. Every pro sports league in the US is separated into 2 conferences/leagues, and the championship is played between the winners of each one.

It would be strange if the NBA went away from the formula that it's used since its inception, just because 2-3 teams in one conference that have 0 chance of winning anyway, feel slighted that they don't get to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

Nah... It is strange, though. Look at the way the American League/ National League is set up and the AFC/NFC are set up. (hockey is whatever)

[nashwade]

its all about match ups.. you just need to beat 4 teams to win the championship

seeding and losing in the regular season don't matter

Ask 2007 Mavericks

[Jon_Koncak]

It's not strange. Every pro sports league in the US is separated into 2 conferences/leagues, and the championship is played between the winners of each one.

It would be strange if the NBA went away from the formula that it's used since its inception, just because 2-3 teams in one conference that have 0 chance of winning anyway, feel slighted that they don't get to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

So your argument is NBA shouldnt change anything because of tradition.According to this logic a 3 point line should never be implemented,same for shot clock.Hell we should be playin basketball by Dr Naismith original rules.

I totally agree with OP.American sport's obsession with different conferences and divisions has always bugged me.I realise they served a purpose when teams were moving on buses but now we're on the liar jet age.Just have the best 16 teams qualify for the play offs,creating two different tournaments based on geography seems just dumb to me.