The NBA is struggling to convince fans that the regular season is worth watching. Commissioner Adam Silver is considering a few proposals to help increase in-season viewership numbers and make the league more fun.
The proposed changes could start as early as the 2020-21 NBA season, and are as follows:
In-Season Tournament
The in-season tournament is expected to start in November and continue into December with an eight-game home-and-home round-robin against opponents within each division. As the tournament plays out, the six teams that win the most games in their respective division advance, as well as two wild card teams with the next best records.
The quarterfinals are to be played at each team’s home arena, but the semifinals and finals would move to a neutral site. Las Vegas is the most likely location.
Teams are incentivized to win via a monetary bonus. Each player on the winning team receives $1 million, and the coaching staff receives a $1.5 million bonus pool, split between the staff.
78-Game Schedule
The proposed 78-game schedule is a response to the in-season tournament. Two teams could play 83 games, as those teams advance in the tournament.
Playoff Play-In Tournament
Currently, the seventh and eighth seeds in the league are guaranteed a spot in the NBA Playoffs. Under this new proposal, the seventh and eighth seeds would play the ninth and tenth seeds for a playoff spot. This is similar to the play-in games for the NCAA March Madness tournament.
Playoff Re-Seeding After Quarterfinals
It is currently impossible for two teams from the same conference to play in the NBA Championship. Under one new proposal, the NBA would re-seed the final four playoff teams, making it possible for two teams from the Eastern or Western Conference to play each other for the NBA Championship. This is a response to the Western Conference owning a significant advantage over the Eastern Conference.
According to USA Today, a fan study revealed that 60% of fans want a shorter schedule, 68% have interest in an in-season tournament, and 75% are interested in a play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seeds.