NBA Considering Not Guaranteeing Playoff Spot for Division Winners

Not only is the NBA considering taking a top-four seed away from division winners, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the league may go even further by taking away the guarantee of a playoff berth. 

"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," Silver said Wednesday, per ESPN.com.

Silver noted the league's analytics unit estimated there is roughly a 5 percent chance of a division winner not finishing inside the top eight. 

Controversy about the league's seeding system, which currently guarantees a top-four seed to each of the six division winners, came to the forefront last season when the Portland Trail Blazers earned the No. 4 seed despite finishing with the West's sixth-best record. Portland's ascent forced the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers, whom many considered two of the three best teams in the conference, to go head-to-head in Round 1.

In June, the NBA pushed forward with a plan that would eliminate that rule. Not guaranteeing a playoff berth altogether is a more extreme step, albeit one that makes sense given the NBA's desire to have the eight best teams in each conference make the postseason.

"So while we're going to continue to discuss it a little bit more—we need to make a decision before the preseason begins—I think the greater likelihood is we will not be guaranteeing a spot to a division winner," Silver said, per ESPN.com.

Grantland's Zach Lowe vehemently agrees with the potential rule change, as he tweeted out his support:

Of course, one could easily argue this is merely a precursor to eliminating divisions altogether. Many in the NBA community have said they're meaningless distinctions in today's travel environment—some have even advocated for getting rid of conferences—and this may be the beginning of a slow phasing period.

Either way, any push toward rewarding the league's best teams is one worth making. 

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