Earlier this week, the NBA made the decision to change up the format for the 2018 All-Star Game a bit by allowing a pair of captains from the voted-in players to choose the teams rather than the typical East vs. West matchup.
This brought forth questions about other possible changes down the line such as the format for the playoffs to just the top 16 teams in the league regardless of conference. With that in mind, Cavs All-Star forward Kevin Love voiced some uncertainty at Wednesday’s shootaround about the idea due to the traveling issues that may arise.
Although this would help create more competition in the postseason, a big question would be the distance traveled. The matchups based on this proposed system could have teams from both coasts of the United States facing each other, which would mean a tremendous amount of traveling that would wear down both teams involved.
In fact, it could be a huge fork in the road for this idea given that it puts more physical and mental wear on the players and coaches. This may have a big adverse impact on the product on the floor during the playoffs.
Ultimately, it may be something that the league considers to a greater degree if there is an even bigger shift in talent to the Western Conference that would further weaken the caliber of teams in the Eastern Conference.
