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Would the Golden State Warriors benefit from a new playoff format?

By Tony Pesta

OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 5: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics on March 5, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MARCH 5: DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics on March 5, 2019 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Fans of the NBA have been begging for a change to the NBA Playoff format for years now. How would this hypothetical new format impact the Golden State Warriors?

The NBA has been under criticism for their playoff format for over a decade now. Fans everywhere are begging to adjust the format in order to accommodate the more talented teams in the Western Conference. Would a straight-seeded format benefit or hurt the Golden State Warriors?

A straight-seeded format is simple, the best 16 teams in the NBA get a playoff spot and are pinned against each other. Conferences mean nothing. As a result, only the best teams in the league will get to compete in the playoffs.

The reason that fans have been asking for this playoff format is because of the fact that many talented Western Conference teams are often on the outside looking in while weaker Eastern teams secure a playoff spot.

Changing the format would fix this and reward the teams that are actually winning games. Let’s look at how the playoffs would look if they began today with this format.

As you can see, a total of nine Western Conference teams would reach the NBA Playoffs in this scenario compared to the usual number of eight. This has caused the Sacramento Kings to snatch the last playoff spot over the Miami Heat.

In this format, the Warriors will open up the playoffs by facing off against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets might not be title contenders but they will certainly be a tough opponent for anyone as this young scrappy squad is ready to battle.

Next, the Dubs would likely play against their old foe, the Houston Rockets. This would be an obvious challenge as the Warriors showdown against reigning (potentially back-to-back) MVP winner James Harden.

After this, the Warriors’ path gets even harder. The toughest teams they would have to face are the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder or Milwaukee Bucks. The only catch here is that the Dubs would have to play against two of these opponents before winning the championship.

Next. Home court advantage is on the line for the Warriors. dark

Clearly, this format ramps up the difficulty for the Warriors. There is honestly no round in this scenario where the Dubs could coast. So while this might not benefit the Dubs, it definitely would make for more exciting television.

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