I never expected to be happy to see NHL commissioner Gery Bettman’s face on my mobile device. Earlier this week, though, Bettman revealed the guidelines that the NHL is taking to ensure that a Stanley Cup champion will be crowned this year. This announcement started the race to see which of the “Big Four” sports leagues in North America will be first to come back. The NBA has been in talks with its players for a 16-team playoff to determine a league champion. And Major League Baseball… well, you know how I feel about them. So, what if the NBA were to follow the same playoff model as the NHL released? This is how it might look.
The Stanley Cup Playoff Model
Let’s look at how the Stanley Cup Playoffs will take place. The NHL determined the season over effective this past Tuesday, and 24 of the 31 teams will advance to the playoffs. The first round will consist of 8 of the top 24 teams receiving a first-round bye. The remaining 16 teams will play best-of-five series in one of two hub cities to determine who moves on.
After the first round of the best-of-five series, the top eight seeds play the remaining. If memory serves correctly, the highest team in each conference plays the lowest seed, the second-highest plays the second-lowest, and so on.
The remaining seven teams who will not make the playoffs will take part in the draft lottery on June 26. The first eight teams eliminated will enter a second lottery, but their chances of winning the first overall pick are slim to none. It’s a complicated matter, but ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski gives a great primer on this. You know, if you wanna go there, you can.
What If the NBA Followed the NHL’s Model?
If Adam Silver were to stream an announcement tonight that the season was over, the standings would look like this:
Eastern Conference
- 1. Milwaukee
- 2. Toronto
- 3. Boston
- 4. Miami
- 5. Indiana
- 6. Philadelphia
- 7. Brooklyn
- 8. Orlando
- 9. Washington
- 10. Charlotte
- 11. Chicago
- 12. New York Knicks
Western Conference
- 1. LA Lakers
- 2. LA Clippers
- 3. Denver
- 4. Utah
- 5. Oklahoma City
- 6. Houston
- 7. Dallas
- 8. Memphis
- 9. Portland
- 10. New Orleans
- 11. Sacramento
- 12. San Antonio
The remaining six franchises (Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Golden State, Minnesota, and Phoenix) would be entered into the draft lottery. They would have a higher weight of obtaining the number one pick in the draft. Just like the NHL, the top four seeds in the conference would receive a first-round bye and the first eight teams eliminated would enter the lottery. But instead of vying for the number one pick, they would be in a drawing for picks seven through 15,
Why would this format be special?
Zion’s First Playoffs
An expanded playoff would mean Zion Williamson’s first playoff in his rookie season. Williamson missed the New Orleans Pelicans’ first 35 games this season, but he has made his presence known. The rookie from Duke has averaged nearly 24 PPG since joining the team on January 22nd. The Pelicans are 10-8 with him in the lineup and every game has been relatively close. Should the Pelicans make the playoffs, they would play Dallas in the first round. This would be an entertaining series that would see Williamson face off against Mavs small forward Tim Hardaway, Jr. or center Kristaps Porzingis.
Kevin Durant’s Comeback?
Kevin Durant hasn’t played a game since Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals. Following Golden State’s loss to Toronto, Durant was traded to Brooklyn for a package that includes the Nets’ 2020 first-round pick. He has not played a game this season, but at the beginning of this month, he was reportedly cleared to play. The Nets currently sit as the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference despite Durant not playing and fellow star Kyrie Irving playing only 20 games. The Nets have insisted that Durant won’t play this season but isn’t that decision up to Durant? KD stepping on the court for the first time this season would give the Nets a shot in the arm as the seventh-seed.
Mid-Market Final?
If the season ended today, the Milwaukee Bucks would be the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the number one overall seed. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers would finish first seed. But there are a plethora of mid-market teams that have a shot at making it to the Final with this NBA playoff model. The Bucks are certainly the favorite to make it out of the East. Out West, mid-market teams like Denver, Utah, and Oklahoma City have a shot of making the Final. I would personally find it satisfying to see Chris Paul, given up for dead by Houston, to make the NBA Finals before his trade counterpart Russell Westbrook. A mid-market final could be considered by many NBA pundits to be a television ratings killer, but the NBA has enough stars to keep an audience interested.
Regardless of how the NBA’s playoff is formatted, one thing is for certain: it’ll be the most unique playoff season in league history. (And Rudy Gobert should be booed vociferously by everyone.)
What do you think of this NBA playoff model? Hit me up in the comments below or on Twitter, @WhoIsRyanMcC. And be sure to check out our additional NBA coverage on Belly Up Sports!
