2020 End of Season / Playoffs

[The Great One]

Zach has a take on how he'd like the season to come back:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...offs-look-like

Too long to quote, but gist is that the bottom 7 "playoff" teams play in playoff tourney (Magic, Nets, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Kings,Blazers, Spurs). Top 3 teams get ranked 14-16.. and then we do a conference-less bracket going forward. And allow the Magic/Nets/Grizzlies some advantage in this tourney so they don't get boned out of a playoff spot.

I want to see Zion in the playoffs so I don't mind that format.

[G__Deane]

NBA now targeting July 31st for return. Just reported on the evening news, is that a new target date?

[Rudy Bargnani]

Latest is 20-22 teams and teams within 6 games of playoffs get a play in for last playoff spots.

The damaged raptors fan initial reaction is there is some realignment or play in possibility we get A healthy Portland and Lillard in the first round.

[TrueTorontoFan]

can someone explain what a play-in tournament would mean... and how would that work... I understand how the group stage would work.

[inthepaint]

can someone explain what a play-in tournament would mean... and how would that work... I understand how the group stage would work.

They would look at the standings right now, and pick a number of teams they deem to be in playoff contention (or risk of missing the playoffs )if the season had gone normally. They all play in a tournament to earn their place. For example, in the west, 8th to 12th in the standings are all within just 4 games of each other (Grizzlies, Blazers, Pels, Kings & Spurs), so they would play a mini-tournmant with the winner getting the 8th seed and making the playoffs

[Rudy Bargnani]

They would look at the standings right now, and pick a number of teams they deem to be in playoff contention (or risk of missing the playoffs )if the season had gone normally. They all play in a tournament to earn their place. For example, in the west, 8th to 12th in the standings are all within just 4 games of each other (Grizzlies, Blazers, Pels, Kings & Spurs), so they would play a mini-tournmant with the winner getting the 8th seed and making the playoffs

Yup. Some hypothesized versions include the play in including 7th and 8th eastern conference teams, meaning a western play-in winner could get in. If you allow me to put on my tin foil hat:

--Dallas is in 7th place..the NBA wants Luka in the playoffs. No play in scenario will lead to Dallas missing the playoffs.
--New Orleans is outside the playoffs. The NBA wants Zion in the play in tournament.
--The top two teams in the east are Milwaukee and Toronto. Yawn.

I could see the following:
If you are above .500 you are in the playoffs. That is 6 teams in the East, 7 win the West. Remaining contending teams have a play in. Orlando, Brooklyn, Memphis, San Antonio, Portland, and Spurs. For 3 spots. Orlando and Brooklyn lose because the suck and are replaced by two western teams. Zion vs Giannis and Dame vs Raptors in the first round.

[S.R.]

I wouldn't be surprised if they gave the play in idea a shot bc it's been under consideration already, now's your chance for a test run.

[NeedTristanThompson]

Has anyone thought like: if the playoff format changes for good this year, the Raps will be the last team to win in the "old" format?????????

Just seems pretty wild. Canada broke the NBA playoffs! (sort of)

[planetmars]

Saw a score update flash on my phone yesterday.... Silver is talking about bringing back 20-22 teams.. including Washington and Phoenix as the "bubble" teams:
https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/19...th-20-22-teams

The recommendation lines up one of the proposals Silver and the board reportedly discussed during a Friday conference call; under that proposed format, teams within six games of a playoff berth would continue to play regular-season games, with a play-in tournament determining the final postseason field.

Six teams outside the playoff picture were within six games of a berth when the league announced a hiatus on March 11 due to COVID-19: the Portland Trail Blazers (3.5 games behind), New Orleans Pelicans (3.5), Sacramento Kings (3.5), San Antonio Spurs (four), and Phoenix Suns (six) in the Western Conference, and the Washington Wizards (5.5) in the East.

Targeting July 31 as the date for the NBA's return to action was also reportedly discussed during Friday's call.

So it seems like the play in tournament with the bottom 7-9 teams, and then a playoff bracket.

Only thing I don't like is the idea that real playoff teams like the Raptors won't get their feet wet before the playoffs start. Would have kind of hoped that every team gets at least 1 or 2 exhibition games. The playoff bubble teams would have that advantage of knowing what it feels like to play without a crowd, etc. But it's still early in the process.

[G__Deane]

Has anyone thought like: if the playoff format changes for good this year, the Raps will be the last team to win in the "old" format?????????

Just seems pretty wild. Canada broke the NBA playoffs! (sort of)

I can't see them changing anything permanently. Maybe a year or two to realign to the old format. Ratings would plummet in the Summer imo

[G__Deane]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...-defend-title/
Raptors’ VanVleet: ‘We knew we had a good chance’ to defend title

[chris]

Saw a score update flash on my phone yesterday.... Silver is talking about bringing back 20-22 teams.. including Washington and Phoenix as the "bubble" teams:
https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/19...th-20-22-teams



So it seems like the play in tournament with the bottom 7-9 teams, and then a playoff bracket.

Only thing I don't like is the idea that real playoff teams like the Raptors won't get their feet wet before the playoffs start. Would have kind of hoped that every team gets at least 1 or 2 exhibition games. The playoff bubble teams would have that advantage of knowing what it feels like to play without a crowd, etc. But it's still early in the process.

i think there will be some regular season games still, not exhibition games.

from woj and shelburne:

Discussions have centered on these formats, including several regular-season games and a play-in tournament to decide the playoff participants.

Regardless of how many teams are ultimately included in the playoffs, the National Basketball Players Association has consistently stressed that it wants several regular-season games to be played prior to the start of the playoffs, sources said. That has been a prevailing sentiment among several contending teams that prefer a tuneup before beginning the postseason, sources said.

[inthepaint]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...-defend-title/
Raptors’ VanVleet: ‘We knew we had a good chance’ to defend title

I know I will sound like like a homer but I think they still do. Main challengers are Lakers, Clips and Bucks.

Clippers are a brand new team, so the benefit of continuity is not really there. Paul George is also one of the most injury-prone players in the league. We all know what Kawhi can do, but he also has a significant injury history himself, and he doesn't have McKechnie load managing him anymore. Can they go all the way? Maybe, but they haven't clicked as many predicted yet, even when both George and Kawhi were healthy and playing at the same time (which is not that often)

Lakers are also a brand new team. Anthony Davis is also a great player, but then again, only made the playoffs twice, one being a first round sweep exit, for a total of 5 playoff games won in seven years. He's got Lebron, who automatically makes any team a contender (unless you're last year's Lakers), but Bron is now 35 and reportedly already giving the reins to Davis. Both Clips and Lakers look great on paper, but despite of what ESPN is desperate for everyone to believe, they could very well be paper tigers.

Bucks is the real threat to the title defence imo. We figured out Giannis last year, but it's gonna be very tough to do it again. With everyone healthy though, we sure have a chance, Nurse has proven to be a heck of a coach, and he knows the Bucks very well.

[bertarapsfan]

A year ago today we were winning game 1 of the NBA finals

[chris]

Paul George gets a lot of hype, but the reality is he never got past the first round in his life. He won a grand total of 9 playoffs games in his 10 year career (includes being swept twice).

i dunno which player you're thinking of but it's not paul george. he's won 34 playoff games, and went past the first round in 2011, 2012, 2013, making the conference finals twice, and losing all three years to the heat when they were a superteam. also only been swept once, round 1 against the cavs his last year in indiana