It makes particular sense in this era, what with 30 teams, and regular-season meetings between Western and Eastern Conference teams limited to single home-and-away meetings.
Under Wilt’s formula, last season’s opening playoff rounds would have had the No. 1 team in the East playing the No. 8 team in the West, No. 1 team in the West playing the No. 8 team in the East, and so forth.
In other words, instead of the actual San Antonio-Lakers & New York-Boston matchups, San Antonio would have played Boston and New York would have squared off with the Lakers. Okay, a little more travel – but in an age where General Stern has taken the NBA global, what are a few extra flyer miles when the fans could be afforded some relatively unfamiliar match-ups … and, more than likely, create a little more interest in the initial playoff pairings?
Here’s what the 2013 playoffs would have looked like:
1. Miami vs Houston
2. Oklahoma City vs Milwaukee
3. San Antonio vs Boston
4. New York vs Lakers
5. Denver vs Atlanta
6. Indiana vs Golden State
7. Memphis vs Nets
8. Clippers vs Chicago
QUARTERFINALS
Miami-Houston (1) winner vs Memphis-Nets (7) winner
San Antonio-Boston (3) winner vs Indiana-Golden State (6) winner
New York-Lakers (4) winner vs Denver-Atlanta (5) winner
SEMIFINALS
1-7 winner vs 4-5 winner
2-8 winner vs 3-6 winner
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