The NBA is reportedly considering reseeding the 2020 NBA Playoffs 1-16 according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, which could produce some pretty wild postseason results in an already-chaotic season for the Boston Celtics.
Windhorst believes the idea will fall flat with team owners, who will have to vote on the motion for it to be instituted in this or any season.
While it could produce some compelling matches in the “bubble” one-site playoff location currently being considered at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida, there is likely trepidation about what such a move could do in future seasons.
"I still think it's going to be a hard pass."@WindhorstESPN on the possibility of the NBA re-seeding teams 1-16, regardless of conference. pic.twitter.com/kDBk8QlSb2
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 25, 2020
Long-standing rivalries with nearby teams might become rarer, with less opportunities to create new ones to drive viewership and ticket sales. And depending on who you draw, the travel could be arduous once games are held in home arenas again.
But who might the Celtics be looking at facing if they did kick the tires on this radical shake up of established playoff protocol? Before we figure that out, let’s look at how things can play out in the current system.