Bear
Years ago

Conferences or Divisions

My thoughts on this question relate to conference style competitions especially popular in the USA with their NBA, NFL etc...

I understand reasons for conferences and agree with them to a point, however could we not use the best of both worlds to at least provide a better and fairer or more even competition?

My point here, for discussion, revolves somewhat around what may occur in the NBA this season and the fact that some teams will just never be able to meet in a final series in the NBA (or a Superbowl in the NFL).

The West in the NBA is so strong this year, arguably they may go into the play offs with up to 6 of the best teams in the NBA, but the East will have to provide their best team to play in the final series, no matter how crap that team may be.

Could we not have conference play and somehow combine the teams with best records into a Divisional ladder based on win/loss and percentage to at least give the best of the best a chance to play off against each other?

I am not saying the NRL or AFL have it 100% correct, nor do I want to see an EPL style of system where the top team just wins without a final series, I am wondering if we can learn by best practice to adapt a system for the most exciting results.

Thoughts...

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.  
Years ago

at what level ?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

What about something like having teams play cross conference for playoff series after round 1?

Like this;

1st West
8th East 1st West
1st West
5th West 4th East
4th East
1st West
6th East
3th West 3rd West
2nd East
2nd East 2nd East
7th West

7th East
2nd West 2nd West
2nd West
3rd East 3rd East
6th West
1st East
4th West
5th East 4th West
1st East
8th West 1st East
1st East

That way you have the chance of 2nd in each conference not meeting till the Finals

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m  
Years ago

^or just have seeds 1-16

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PlaymakerMo  
Years ago

There is certainly less merit for the NBA's division/conference system given how affordabile air travel is nowadays.

What a complicated system might do is create more discussion amongst fans and the media e.g. multiple teams in the West missing out on the playoffs that would otherwise be seeded 5-8 in the East.

From the league's perspective: this dialogue is crucial to their brand, and arguably outweighs the downside of certain teams being disadvantaged.

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Bear  
Years ago

Conferences are used at various levels. I see the benefit of conference play, I also like the way college hoops has conference and non-conference play, then they have ratings and of course the March Madness tournament.

I think the NBA could improve in this area, the NBL could learn from what is being done successfully out there, even the SEABL can probably improve in its format??

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