Dear NBA: Shorten the Playoffs

The NBA had it perfect in 1983. Back then, only six teams from each conference qualified for the NBA Playoffs. The top two seeds earned byes while the remaining four were locked into a best-of-three series. The next three rounds were best-of-seven. 

If only the tournament was played the same way today.

OK, maybe best-of-three is a bit extreme, but the first round shouldn’t be any longer than five games. If a No. 1 seed can’t win three games against a No. 8, it doesn’t deserve to advance. And if I had my way the seven and eight seeds wouldn’t even qualify for the playoffs because with rare exceptions they’re only there to fill the NBA’s money coffer. 

Since 1984, seven and eight seeds are a combined 10-114, each winning five series.

Aside from more money, one of the reasons the first round was expanded to best-of-seven for the 2003 playoffs was to give higher seeds a better chance at winning. However, more eight seeds have won best-of-seven series than best-of-fives. The only two No. 8 seeds to advance in a best-of-five series were Denver in 1994 and New York in 1999.

Eight seeds have won three times since 2003 — Golden State in 2007, Memphis in 2011 and Philadelphia in 2012. However, 76ers’ win needs some context because the Bulls lost Derrick Rose in the final minutes of Chicago’s 103-91 Game 1 victory.

Only one seven seed has won a best-of-seven series, and that was San Antonio over Dallas in 2010. Four won in a best-of-five format — Seattle in 1987, Golden State in 1989 and 1991, and New York in 1998.

(Side note: The Knicks beat Miami as a seven seed in 1998 and then again as an eight seed in 1999.)

But anything is possible right? Wrong. Only two teams seeded lower than three have won the NBA Championship — Boston in 1969 as a four and Houston in 1995 as a six. No team seeded five, seven or eight has won the title.

And even if a seven or an eight advance, they’re quickly disposed in the second round. Only two out of the ten have won second-round series — the 1987 SuperSonics and 1999 Knicks with New York being the only No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals. No seven seed has made it that far.

Now fast forward to 2015 — six teams went up 3-0 in their respective first round series with three sweeping and Houston advancing 4-1. Entering the 2015 playoffs, teams that go down 3-0 are 0-110. So 75 percent of the first round essentially became meaningless after one week.

While the Chicago/Milwaukee series got a little intriguing when the Bucks forced a Game 6 back in Milwaukee, wouldn’t you rather see the Bulls getting ready to face Cleveland tonight with the first round wrapping up on Wednesday?

And just think, if these series were only best-of-five, Kevin Love wouldn’t be hurt, J.R. Smith wouldn’t be suspended, and the Bulls wouldn’t have to tax themselves trying to close out the Bucks. Both teams would be 100 percent, fresh and ready to face off in an intense series.

I’ve made my allegiance to the Cavs well known — heck we just launched our CLE Talk podcast dedicated solely to Cleveland sports — but the worst part about Love’s injury is that it came in an unnecessary game. Was there any doubt the Cavs were a better team after three games? Same with the Bulls, why drag this out? Bulls fans know injuries all too well, but regardless of who you cheer for the second round would have been better with a fully healthy Cleveland.

As someone who has had to put up with Bulls fans whining about health for the last five years, nothing is more annoying than a fan who makes excuses.

But this isn’t just about one series, it’s about the fact that the NBA Playoffs started on April 18 and some series took 10 days to play four games. It’s about the fact that if a great team can’t dispatch of a seven or eight seed in three games it shouldn’t get a fourth chance to do so.

It’s about getting to the great series faster. It’s about keeping the playoffs intense. The first round drags on way too long.