Report: Majority of NBA teams support playoff play-in format

NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke with general managers across the league on Thursday to discuss the results of a survey that was recently sent out regarding a format for when play resumes. While no plan has been decided upon, it sounds like the idea of a play-in tournament for teams on the playoff bubble is one most teams would support.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports that GMs were asked for their thoughts on two different “playoffs-plus” formats. One would involve a play-in tournament to determine which bubble teams get the final postseason spots. The other is a World Cup-style group stage, which would replace the first round of the playoffs with a round-robin format. Not surprisingly, 75 percent of NBA teams prefer the first format.

One source told O’Connor that Silver is not taking the results of the survey seriously, as he knows teams are voting based on what is best for them this season. However, the commissioner may be trying to gauge how teams feel about potential postseason format changes that could become permanent. The NBA proposed a play-in tournament last year, but the talks didn’t really go anywhere.

Some teams have questions about how the NBA Draft Lottery would work, especially if the playoffs are expanded to include more teams this summer. One suggestion is that draft position be locked in where teams 11-30 currently stand rather than allowing the results of the playoffs to dictate things. If the NBA changes the postseason format, a team that would not traditionally make the playoffs could, in theory, advance from the play-in tournament or round robin and then lose its lottery pick.

If the NBA eliminates conferences when play resumes and seeds the playoff teams from 1-16, we already know some teams believe they would be at a huge advantage. That could be problematic for Silver, but this is a year unlike any other. It may be impossible to please everybody.