Competitive balance has been an issue for the NBA for quite some time, especially between the two conferences. It took an even bigger turn this summer as the East sent away many of its top stars (namely Jimmy Butler and Paul George) to Western Conference teams.
What will likely follow is plenty of top level teams in the West and plenty of mediocre teams in the East. That means good teams will be left out of the playoffs and bad teams will be rewarded with the postseason.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, several Western teams have noticed and contacted the league office to request changes to the NBA’s playoff format. This has been a topic of conversation within the NBA for years but seems to be gaining steam in the highly unbalanced state.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban e-mailed Lowe his thoughts on the matter:
“It needs to be addressed,” Cuban emailed ESPN.com on Thursday. “Seven of the 10 smallest markets are in the West. I really believe Eastern teams know they can get by doing less, and [in some cases] make the playoffs. Because they are larger markets, they will sell tickets and advertising, and get viewers. They get the best of both worlds.”
We’ve been waiting for the cycle that turns the tide towards the East and equalizes the two conferences for more than a decade, now. Outside of a few outlier seasons, nothing has changed and it seems to be getting worse.
The NBA has to look at alternatives, including seeding 1-16 for the playoffs.
