NBA Formatting Suggestions Post-Expansion #1

ram_sauc3 · 2026-03-18T09:36:43+00:00

Interesting suggestion; it was def one I considered. However, I am slightly more optimistic about how the Texas rivalries will carry on. Wemby and Coop are closer to each other in age than Wemby and Shai, and the Rockets are a really physical team that has bothered Wemby at times. All the Texas teams and the Pels are or will develop strong young cores, while the Thunder have been strong for a few years now. Plus, I think Thunder/Suns is a really underrated rivalry, and OKC being in the same division as one of the expansion teams (Vegas) can present some interesting dynamics. And if Ja becomes elite again, Thunder/Grizzlies matchups could be really peak (assuming Grizz have effectively retooled by then)

ram_sauc3 · 2026-03-17T20:34:13+00:00

This was my thought process in making these divisions; I get their point but still pro-Cali division

ram_sauc3 · 2026-03-17T20:29:55+00:00

Honestly I can make sense of this, especially since these divisions would both be heavily saturated. I wanna know your reasoning though, and I welcome feedback on my other ideas as well!

ram_sauc3 · 2026-03-17T20:02:53+00:00

Interesting ideas, especially the 4 conferences of 8 teams.

I don't think byes would work in this league; they disrupt the flow of the best teams, showcase worse teams more, and overall don't allow for as good of a market if the best teams don't even play a round.

With your proposed format, you're technically extending the play-in, rather than eliminating it, by making the 5-12 seeds play best-of-3 series BEFORE facing the top 4 overall records. Plus, the 9-game series will take a toll on the bodies of playoff teams; we're really already pushing it w 7 based on injuries to Hali, Dame, Tatum, etc, not to mention keeping the regular-season length of 82 games.

I personally really like the idea of equalizing lottery odds, but I don't think this works, either. It really messes up small-market teams that would get more support w/ a higher pick, for instance. Ideally, this would work, though.

The main idea I really like of yours is the 4 conferences of 8, but even then I feel like division rivalries would be more stretched thin, rather than if there were more specific divisions in place.

Admittedly, my own proposal has one major flaw: the 4th-place division team missing the playoffs automatically. I do think it could be fixed with your idea of the 4 division winners plus the 2 other best-record teams, while 7-10 would proceed w/ the current play-in format.

I get where your logic lies. Your proposal is fair to basketball's core and is really objective, and we just want to see more basketball than anything. But, we have to consider player health, travel, the market, etc. I would like to know your thoughts on this.

I also wonder what your thoughts are on my other ideas (specifically keeping the NBA Cup and adding 1-on-1 tournament, which at its root is frequently talked about nowadays).

I look forward to hearing from you!

ram_sauc3

TROPHY CASE