NBA playoff question

[OMMF]

I just want to make sure I have this right. Top 8 in each conference make the playoffs. Winners of each division are seeded 1-3, seeds 4-8 seeded in order of record. Higher record gets home-court advantage.

Current Western Conference standings:

San Antonio 1x 58 18

Phoenix 2x 50 25

Denver 3 42 34

Dallas 4x 57 19

L.A. Clippers 5 44 31

Memphis 6 44 32

Sacramento 7 40 37

L.A. Lakers 8 40 37

(x - clinched berth, seeding next to team name)

So...

In the first round, even though they are a number 6 seed, Memphis would get home-court over Denver, the 3 seed?

How does that make any sense? What's the point of seeding the division winners 1-3 if it doesn't even get them the advantage?

[Cujo]

I had been led to believe that the team with the better record in ANY series would get home-court. Therefore, if this is true, Yes, the #6 Grizzlies would be hosting the #3 Nuggets in the first round if Memphis finishes with a better record or if they hold the tie-breaker over Denver if they finish with the same record.

As for the division winners getting the 1-2-3 seeds, I heard on ESPN about a month ago, that at the end of the season the NBA will strongly condier making a change to where the seedings are ranked by record only, mainly because of what's going on out West with the Spurs and Mavs.

[OMMF]

I had been led to believe that the team with the better record in ANY series would get home-court.

That's my point. Why seed Denver #3 if they don't get home-court? What are they being rewarded with for winning their division? At least in the NHL, even if their point total is lower, the division winners get home-ice for the first round.

[nsentv]

David Stern has made so many bad decisions in the last four years it's mindboggling.

He let the NBA leave NBC, he extended the first round to seven games, he allowed the Finals to turn into a series of god-awful concerts, and now this. I love the league, but the playoffs lack some legitimacy when its set up like this. Bud Selig has his "best interests of the game clause". Why can't David Stern do something to that extent to reseed the playoffs based on record only?

It can't be about money, because how does stupidity make any sports league richer?

[-Helix-]

It can't be about money, because how does stupidity make any sports league richer?

Remember, this is the NBA we're talking about. I don't think they've been legit since the 90's. All it is anymore is one giant gimmick. Yet somehow, they still get increasingly popular. I guess the "ghetto ballas" that watch the NBA really like their black eyed peas and mariah carey. (Personally, I can't stand either. Thankfully I don't watch the NBA anymore. Just NCAA for me now since the NBA has gone so far down hill over the years.)

[WSU151]

I had been led to believe that the team with the better record in ANY series would get home-court.

That's my point. Why seed Denver #3 if they don't get home-court? What are they being rewarded with for winning their division? At least in the NHL, even if their point total is lower, the division winners get home-ice for the first round.

OMMF and Curty, a top three seed hosts, regardless of record. Denver would host Memphis.

[Starchild]

OMMF and Curty, a top three seed hosts, regardless of record. Denver would host Memphis.

No my friend. As the playoff structure is right now, Memphis would have the home-court advantage against Denver despite the Nuggets being the 3 seed - which is why there is a ton of controversy over the current structure. As said before, division winners get 1-3 based on their records, then 4-8 based solely on record, the best record in each matchup gets the homecourt advantage for the series.

[NJTank]

The NBA playoff format is messed up the NHL gets it right Div winners get 1,2,3 seeds and home ice, then after 1st roudn its reseeded, with top seed playing lowest seed.

[rams80]

The NBA playoff format is messed up the NHL gets it right Div winners get 1,2,3 seeds and home ice, then after 1st roudn its reseeded, with top seed playing lowest seed.

I thought the NHL didn't reseed.

[Jigga]

It can't be about money, because how does stupidity make any sports league richer?

Remember, this is the NBA we're talking about. I don't think they've been legit since the 90's. All it is anymore is one giant gimmick. Yet somehow, they still get increasingly popular. I guess the "ghetto ballas" that watch the NBA really like their black eyed peas and mariah carey. (Personally, I can't stand either. Thankfully I don't watch the NBA anymore. Just NCAA for me now since the NBA has gone so far down hill over the years.)

Excuse you? Care to explain the "ghetto ballas" remark?

[nsentv]

Remember, this is the NBA we're talking about. I don't think they've been legit since the 90's. All it is anymore is one giant gimmick. Yet somehow, they still get increasingly popular. I guess the "ghetto ballas" that watch the NBA really like their black eyed peas and mariah carey. (Personally, I can't stand either. Thankfully I don't watch the NBA anymore. Just NCAA for me now since the NBA has gone so far down hill over the years.)

Yes, of course, the NBA's only viewers are ghetto ballas. Exactly. And ghetto ballas only enjoy black performers like Mariah and the Black Eyed Peas. That's totally true, and not a disgustingly pathetic, vomit-inducing racist generalization. Comments like that represent the type of people I'm glad DON'T watch the NBA. I'd rather the ratings be lower than have people with ignorant opinions like that enjoying the league.

The problem David Stern has is that he's trying to appeal to people with opinions like these. He's trying to appease them. What he should really be doing is shunning them. Unfortunately, the business of the game precludes that from being a viable option.

On topic: The Grizzlies will likely have homecourt advantage, while a team with a better record, the Clippers, will end up on the road. Against Dallas. Ouch.

[WJMorris3]

I had been led to believe that the team with the better record in ANY series would get home-court.  Therefore, if this is true, Yes, the #6 Grizzlies would be hosting the #3 Nuggets in the first round if Memphis finishes with a better record or if they hold the tie-breaker over Denver if they finish with the same record.

As for the division winners getting the 1-2-3 seeds, I heard on ESPN about a month ago, that at the end of the season the NBA will strongly condier making a change to where the seedings are ranked by record only, mainly because of what's going on out West with the Spurs and Mavs.

Mark my words, because of this, the Clips will go on a losing streak and fall right into sixth place. By doing so, they can both possibly pick up a home series that they otherwise would not have, and would also dodge both the Mavs and the Spurs till the finals.

As it is, I think they should lengthen the season to 86 games, play the opposite conference twice each (15 x 2 = 30), your conference 4 times each (14 x 4 = 56), and abolish the divisions completely.

[CC97]

The NBA playoff format is messed up the NHL gets it right Div winners get 1,2,3 seeds and home ice, then after 1st roudn its reseeded, with top seed playing lowest seed.

I thought the NHL didn't reseed.

The NHL re-seeds, but the division winners are still seeded at the top.

[SHoUP]

The NBA playoffs are a mess. Things that need to be fixed...

1. The seeding in the first round (which is what this thread is about).

2. They need to reseed after every round like the NFL does instead of using brackets.

3. Go back to the 5-7-7-7 playoff format. The first round is way too long.

[rams80]

The NBA playoff format is messed up the NHL gets it right Div winners get 1,2,3 seeds and home ice, then after 1st roudn its reseeded, with top seed playing lowest seed.

I thought the NHL didn't reseed.

The NHL re-seeds, but the division winners are still seeded at the top.

Thanks.

Its just that its been so long since the NHL had playoffs I forgot about that.

[ninersdd]

Brackets only work for big team pools(like NCAA)

[WSU151]

OMMF and Curty, a top three seed hosts, regardless of record.  Denver would host Memphis.

No my friend. As the playoff structure is right now, Memphis would have the home-court advantage against Denver despite the Nuggets being the 3 seed - which is why there is a ton of controversy over the current structure. As said before, division winners get 1-3 based on their records, then 4-8 based solely on record, the best record in each matchup gets the homecourt advantage for the series.

I'm mistaken. Thanks Starchild. I guess the "reward" for the division winner is playing a "lower-quality team" but that's not going to happen this year, at least.

[Eye]

San Antonio 1x  58  18 

Phoenix 2x        50    25 

Denver 3    42    34 

Dallas 4x    57    19 

L.A. Clippers 5  44  31

Memphis 6    44  32

Sacramento 7  40      37 

L.A. Lakers 8    40      37

(x - clinched berth, seeding next to team name)

So...

In the first round, even though they are a number 6 seed, Memphis would get home-court over Denver, the 3 seed?

How does that make any sense? What's the point of seeding the division winners 1-3 if it doesn't even get them the advantage?

Getting back to the original question, in the first round the top seed gets home court no matter what the records are. After the first round it goes by better record. I can confirm that because the Nets played the Pistons in the conference finals in '04 and the Nets were the 2 seed and the Pistons were the 3 seed and Detroit had home court because they had a better record. Unless the NBA changed something I'm pretty sure I'm right.

[HedleyLamarr]

3. Go back to the 5-7-7-7 playoff format. The first round is way too long.

Even then, the 5-game first round was long. If a series went 5 games, it took 14 days to play them. Two weeks to play 5 games! Ridiculous.

As far as I know, the Conference Quarterfinals are conventional....#1 gets home court over #8, #2 gets HC over #7, etc., regardless of the record. All three division winners are rewarded by getting HC.

In the Conference Semifinals, the team with the better regular season record gets HC for the series, but almost really becomes a moot point, the way the bracket breaks down: The winner of the 1-8 series plays the 4-5, and the 2-7 winner plays the 3-6.

For the Conference Finals, if the #4 upsets the #1 and has a better regular season record than the winner of the 2-3 series, the #4 seed would get the HC.

As for the Finals, the team with the better regular season record gets the HC.

[ninersdd]

In 2003 the Mavs(as a no3 seed) got home court advantage over the Kings(a no 2)