How Will the NBA Playoffs Work?
Contents
The NBA playoffs are just around the corner, and we’re here to give you a quick rundown of how they’ll work this year.
Introduction
The 2020 NBA playoffs are finally here after a very strange and uncertain regular season. The playoffs will look a little different this year, with a new format and some different rules. Here’s everything you need to know about how the 2020 NBA playoffs will work.
The 2020 NBA playoffs will feature 16 teams, down from the usual 20. Eight teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs, with the top two seeds receiving a bye in the first round. The first round of the playoffs will be a best-of-seven series, while all other rounds will be best-of-five.
There will also be some changes to playoff seeding this year. Instead of seedings being based on record, they will be based on each team’s “net rating,” which is the difference between their offensive rating and their defensive rating. This is meant to give teams that played well during the regular season a better chance at making a deep run in the playoffs.
Another change for this year’s playoffs is that there will be no home-court advantage. All games will be played at neutral sites, with no fans in attendance. This was done to limit travel and keep everyone as safe as possible during the pandemic.
The 2020 NBA playoffs are sure to be full of surprises, so make sure you tune in to catch all the action!
What’s new with the NBA playoffs?
The NBA playoffs are just around the corner and there are some changes this year. The biggest change is that the playoffs will now be seeding teams by their records in each conference, rather than seeding them by their overall record. This should create some interesting matchups and make the playoffs more competitive.
Seeding
In the current system, the team with the best record in each conference is guaranteed to receive one of the top four seeds in the playoffs, regardless of their divisional standing. The remaining four playoff slots in each conference are filled by the team with the next-best record, regardless of division.
However, if two teams from the same division end up with identical records and split their regular season series, then a mini-playoff will be held to determine which team obtains the playoff berth.
Format
The NBA playoffs are upon us, and there are a few changes this year. With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, the league has decided to hold all games at a single site: the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.
That means that all 16 playoff teams will be gathered in one place for the duration of the postseason. The playoffs will begin on August 17 and continue until a champion is crowned in October.
There are some other changes as well. The first round will be best-of-seven series, as usual, but the second round will be best-of-five. The conference finals will also be best-of-seven, as usual.
The league has also decided to seed teams based on their regular season record, regardless of whether they played in the Eastern or Western Conference. That means that the two best teams in the league (the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers) will be on opposite sides of the bracket and could meet in the Finals.
Of course, with so many games being played in such a short period of time, anything could happen. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!
How will the NBA playoffs work?
The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the NBA’s regular season to determine the league’s champion. The playoffs follow a tournament format. Each team plays an opponent in a best-of-seven series with the first team to win four games advancing to the next round, while the other team is eliminated from the playoffs.
Seeding
The seeding of the playoffs is simple – the team with the best record in each conference gets seeded 1st, the team with the 2nd best record in each conference gets seeded 2nd, and so on.
So, for example, if the Golden State Warriors have the best record in the West and the Boston Celtics have the best record in the East, then those two teams will be seeded 1st in their respective conferences.
The first round of the playoffs is a best-of-seven series. So, if the Warriors are seeded 1st and they are playing the 8th seeded team in the West – let’s say that’s the Portland Trail Blazers – then Golden State would need to win four games before Portland could win three games.
The higher seeded team in each series has homecourt advantage. So, if the Warriors are playing Portland in Oakland, then Golden State would get to host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 (if necessary). Games 3 and 4 would be played in Portland.
Format
The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) regular season to ultimately crown a league champion. Eight teams from each of the league’s two conferences qualify for the playoffs. The four division winners in each conference (seeded 1–4 in their conference) earn home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, which they host regardless of their record. All rounds are best-of-seven series.
The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and played its first official season in 1947–48. The BAA merged with the National Basketball League in 1949 to form the NBA, which began play in 1950 with 17 franchises. In 1954, the BAA took its name from that of its parent organization and became the National Basketball Association. After going through several name changes over its first decade, including a brief stint as the National Professional Basketball League (from 1951 to 1955), it finally took on its current name of National Basketball Association in 1969.
Conclusion
So, that’s how the NBA playoffs work. The regular season is important, but it’s really the postseason where things get serious. The best teams in the league battle it out for the chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It’s must-see TV for any basketball fan.