NBA News: Calls for New Playoff Bracket Format Reportedly ‘Expected to Get Louder’

The NBA playoff format could be up for debate at some point in the future.

Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported that several teams are “pushing” for the league to move away from conference-based seeding and instead embrace a 1-to-16 format:

For the better part of a generation, the league’s balance of power has consistently leaned — and often has completely tipped — in favor of the Western Conference’ star power and depth. And even if that’s shifted a bit since the historically slow start for East teams in nonconference matchups, there are 10 teams over .500 in the Western Conference compared to six in the East. As a result, league sources told ESPN that calls from teams pushing for 1-through-16 seeding in the playoffs (or a similar change) are expected to get louder even if nothing changes. Such a revision would require half of the East to vote in favor, with many middling teams voting against their best interests. No one we spoke with expects that to change.

The NBA playoffs currently consist of the six teams from each conference clinching a spot in the first round and seed Nos. 7-10 competing in the play-in tournament to determine the seventh and eighth slots on each side of the bracket.

This format allows for less long-distance travel as the rounds preceding the NBA Finals are more regionally based. However, the Western Conference has consistently had stronger talent in years past and that side of the bracket has generally been more of a grind than the East.

For example, the 2023-24 season saw the second-seeded New York Knicks in the East post the same record as the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the West. Another example would be the Houston Rockets, who finished 41-41 and outside of the play-in tournament in the West. That record would have been good for ninth in the East a year ago.