NBA could change playoff format
LAS VEGAS, NV (The Spread) – Could the NBA be changing its playoff format in the upcoming years?
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the league is leaning toward not guaranteeing a postseason berth to a team that wins its division. Instead, teams would be forced to finish in the top eight of their conference in order to qualify for the playoffs.
“First of all, it’s never happened before that a division winner did not finish within the top eight, and our basketball analytics folks calculate that there’s less than a 5 percent chance that it would happen,” Silver said via ESPN.com.
“Where we are leaning right now is that we would not guarantee a spot for a division winner in part because it’s so unlikely to happen, and No. 2 if it does happen it would be potentially confusing to fans. No. 3, you would be displacing a team that did have a top-eight record.”
According to oddsmakers from online sports book GT Bets, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the current favorites to win the 2016 NBA Championship at 11/4 odds.
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