05-24-2020, 08:02 AM
We all tend to focus on the idea of a play-in for 7th and 8th...which is patently unfair to Dallas. Why would a team that is basically .600 have to be subject to a play-in. The reason this idea comes up is it was floated as part of Silver's revamp starting in 21/22 (to also include an in-season tournament). I'm not sure it is the most likely outcome.
I think the idea of Group Play has merit though and solves the other major problem of the premature end to the regular season. Everyone focuses on who gets in, but this particular season, the 9th place teams don't have much of an argument. Seeding, however, could have changed dramatically over the course of the remaining games. I see, and haven't since we started these discussions, no need to play additional regular season games. In fact, I wouldn't bring the other 14 teams into the situation at all. It is just extra risk of infection.
But, some kind of Group Play that replaces the first round would make for much better TV than Milwaukee destroying Orlando in four games. I'd play 3-5 warm-up games and then divide everyone into 4 groups of four for Group Play. This would be much better TV as every game would matter. The groups would yield a 1 through 4 ranking. Everyone continues to play, but those rankings are used to play a best of 3 elimination round. So everyone gets 5-6 games between the two parts. From there you take the four winners and those are the semi-finalist for each conference.
You wouldn't have to maintain conferences, but assuming you did...Group Play in each conference would be:
1, 4, 5, 8 and 2, 3, 6, 7, with each group having a 1-4 rank after this round. In the elimination round 1 plays 4 from the other group, 2 plays 3 from the other group and so fourth. That leaves you with four winners which advance to the traditional best of seven conference semi's. This would be so much more interesting than the traditional first round and is totally doable because of the single-site format. The league needs a good product right out of the gate and something like this will be much more interesting than that Milwaukee/Orlando series no one is looking forward to.
I think the idea of Group Play has merit though and solves the other major problem of the premature end to the regular season. Everyone focuses on who gets in, but this particular season, the 9th place teams don't have much of an argument. Seeding, however, could have changed dramatically over the course of the remaining games. I see, and haven't since we started these discussions, no need to play additional regular season games. In fact, I wouldn't bring the other 14 teams into the situation at all. It is just extra risk of infection.
But, some kind of Group Play that replaces the first round would make for much better TV than Milwaukee destroying Orlando in four games. I'd play 3-5 warm-up games and then divide everyone into 4 groups of four for Group Play. This would be much better TV as every game would matter. The groups would yield a 1 through 4 ranking. Everyone continues to play, but those rankings are used to play a best of 3 elimination round. So everyone gets 5-6 games between the two parts. From there you take the four winners and those are the semi-finalist for each conference.
You wouldn't have to maintain conferences, but assuming you did...Group Play in each conference would be:
1, 4, 5, 8 and 2, 3, 6, 7, with each group having a 1-4 rank after this round. In the elimination round 1 plays 4 from the other group, 2 plays 3 from the other group and so fourth. That leaves you with four winners which advance to the traditional best of seven conference semi's. This would be so much more interesting than the traditional first round and is totally doable because of the single-site format. The league needs a good product right out of the gate and something like this will be much more interesting than that Milwaukee/Orlando series no one is looking forward to.