Report: NBA discussing issue of conference imbalance
The longtime imbalance between the NBA's Western and Eastern Conferences has somehow gotten even worse to start the 2014-15 season, and seeds of change may have been planted because of it.
Regarding the issue of doing away with the East-West Conference playoff format, Grantland's Zach Lowe reports that conversations on the topic have been had.
"Several league sources say that discussion is now happening in some infant stage," writes Lowe.
“We are studying the issue closely,” commissioner Adam Silver told Grantland.
While the Western Conference often sees near-50-win teams miss the postseason, the East usually has at least one sub-.500 team in the playoff party. Through the opening month of this season, the West is 64-26 against the East in inter-Conference play.
Last week, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban proposed a realignment that would see four teams in West's Southwest Division and the East's Central Division swap places.
In addition to Cuban, Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and representatives are pushing for changes, according to Lowe.
"(Sarver) brought up the idea of abolishing conferences for at least the purposes of playoff seeding at the league’s board of governors meeting in October."
"(Change) is on the league's radar screen now," Sarver said.
Citing several sources, Lowe also reports that the Oklahoma City Thunder have suggested a straight top-16 playoff format some time over the last six months.
An obvious issue with taking the top-16 teams regardless of Conference is that East teams still face an easier path to the postseason thanks to an easier schedule, while balancing the schedule could cause travel nightmares if teams from each coast have to play each other more frequently.
There are no easy answers, but the fact that the NBA is at least reportedly discussing how to improve things is a step in the right direction.