The NBA Is Coming Back With 22 Teams?
Play-in tournament in NBA's 22-team format would only be for 8th seed, per sources:
– If 9th seed is 4 or more games back, 8th seed earns spot
– If 9th seed is 4 or fewer games behind, play-in: Single-elimination for 9th seed, double-elimination for 8th.https://t.co/d7X3X6d1p8— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 3, 2020
So this is pretty interesting news from Shams. We have all heard the rumors that the NBA is coming back on July 31. But, we had no idea what it would look like until we got this leak this morning. So it looks like they are going to take the top 22 teams in the league who are within at least 4 games of the 8 seed.
So the NBA's inviting 22 teams to Orlando: 13 Western Conference, 9 Eastern Conference. Eight-regular season games per team. Play-in for the 8th seeds. July 31-October 12. Vote tomorrow to ratify.
The NBA's back.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2020
According to Woj, the Western Conference will have 13 teams. The Eastern Conference will have only 9 teams play for a spot in the playoffs. From my understanding of these tweets, each team will play 8 games and that will determine seeding in the playoffs? If so, that is a dumb idea. Let’s take the Bucks for example, say they struggle during those 8 games and finish like 5-3 that could be a three/four seed for them. Or are these 8 games only going to count for teams who are on the bubble of making the top 8 anyway?
It just sounds really confusing if you are going to punish these teams who already clinched a spot in the playoffs. But I could be totally wrong and these 8 games would only affect those bubble teams, then I am all for this. Anyway we won’t find out exactly until tomorrow when the NBA has a meeting to discuss this plan. But as for right now the NBA seems pretty much back on July 31!
Sources: Joining the 16 current playoff teams in Orlando: New Orleans, Portland, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Antonio in the West and Washington in the East. If the 9th seed is more than 4 games behind the 8th, No. 8 makes playoffs; Fewer than 4 games, a play-in tournament.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2020
Based on these teams, I think I have to take Portland to make the 8 seed. They are the more experienced team out of the bunch.
-John McCormack (Uncle_Mac4)