Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy has never been one to hold back his opinions. This time, his target seems to be the playoff schedule, which has substantial gaps between games. Instead, Van Gundy would favor a schedule in which games are played back-to-back, with gaps only added for travel. For Van Gundy, this would expedite the playoffs and stop it from being the dragged-out affair that it is.

Van Gundy certainly has a point; the NBA playoffs can be long and tedious. However, playing back-to-back games is simply not the answer. The main reason is that teams play considerably worse on back-to-back nights. Just go ask the bookmakers in Vegas. Teams, particularly ones with predominately veteran rosters, have trouble with back-to-back games during the regular season, and there is no reason to think the same trend wouldn’t continue in the playoffs – a time of year when legs are already tired. The extra day or two in between games allows for teams to get the appropriate level of rest, which ensures a high level of competition.

The other major reason that Van Gundy is a bit off is that it takes considerable pressure off the league itself, particularly if they have to make any decisions regarding suspensions. Unfortunately, suspensions seem to come into play just about every year, with this season being no different. In game one of the Boston-Miami series, Kevin Garnett elbowed Quentin Richardson in the face late in the game in a move that certainly seemed to warrant a suspension. Commissioner David Stern agreed, suspending him for one game, which the Celtics ended up winning anyway.

Though it may have seemed like a slam dunk that Garnett was going to be suspended, nothing is ever that simple in the playoffs. Stern knew that a player of Garnett’s prominence could have potentially shifted the entire season if he made the wrong decision. With the current format, Stern was able to take nearly the entire following day to think the situation through and make the correct decision. Without the extra day off, Stern would have likely had to make a snap judgment and announce the suspension as soon as possible to allow both teams a chance to prepare for the following game.

Playing back-to-back games would also make it very hard for the television programming. Years ago, when television revenues were not nearly as important to the league as they are today, this wouldn’t have needed to be a consideration. The reality of pro sports in the high-definition era, however, is that pro sports leagues need to maximize television revenues to remain competitive. Selling NBA Playoff tickets is obviously still a priority for the league, but it simply is no longer the only source of revenue. If this means they have to give teams an extra day off, then so be it.

Van Gundy also points to the expediency with which baseball gets through the playoffs, which is not really a fair comparison. For one, only eight total teams make the playoffs in Major League Baseball compared to the 16 teams that make the NBA playoffs. Moving to eight teams is simply not an option for the NBA. Baseball is also designed to be played every single day; basketball is not. If anything, baseball should consider moving to a seven-game series in the first round.

Though Van Gundy is one of the brightest coaches in the league, it’s difficult to sympathize with his opinion in this regard. His athletes are still professionals and keeping them fresh and engaged after days off simply should not be a problem. If it is, then it’s on the coach. The spread-out schedule also allows for teams to have a brighter spotlight, as this allows No prescription cialis for less overlap Cialis Professional with games. For NBA fans that don’t get much of a chance to watch certain teams during the regular season, this is crucial for showcasing the league’s prominent players. Though it’s still not a perfect system, there are no major problems with the NBA playoffs scheduling.

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Category: Recreation and Leisure/Sports/Basketball
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