The calls for the NBA to format its playoffs with a top 16 seeding system have gotten louder in recent years. SI's Michael Shapiro took a look at some of the best matchups that would've happened if that format had been adopted years ago, including what would've been a thrilling matchup between LeBron James's Heat and Chris Paul's Clippers.
Read the full video transcript:
Madelyn Burke: We've seen it more and more over recent years. People making the case for a one through 16 NBA playoff format and it's gotten even stronger when looking at the past two decades. I'm joined now by SI NBA writer Michael Shapiro. Michael, this would obviously change the landscape of the playoffs dramatically and creating some early matchups that we can only dream of. So you highlighted several of these matchups in your recent piece for a side outcome. But I want to know what's one matchup of the last decade that you really wish you could have seen?
Michael Shapiro: You know, there are no shortage of playoff matchups that we missed out on by not having a one through 16 seeding. One that really stuck out to me is looking back to 2014, you could've had LeBron James and the Heat versus Chris Paul and the Clippers. Now, originally, you might assume that LeBron has the upper hand, but that was a fantastic Clippers team led by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan. They won 54 games. And if they had met in a series, you might have seen Chris Paul take the upper hand. Certainly a thrilling matchup. We wish we could have seen.
Madelyn Burke: Now, the NBA appears to be sticking with its standard conference seating for the 2020 playoffs. But if they did go one through 16 this year, what would be the best matchup, what would be one you wish you could see this year.
Michael Shapiro: Well, I think we really have a thrilling matchup in round one now. It still would be between Eastern Conference teams, what we would see Philadelphia as the number twelve seed face, the Celtics, us the number five seed. Of course, those teams have some bad blood in recent playoff history to see those teams square off and round one would really get the playoffs started on a very exciting note.
Madelyn Burke: We can only dream. Michael Shapiro. Thank you so much for the time.
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