22 Teams to Fight for the Playoffs

Trusted ESPN insider, Adrian Wojnarowski revealed today that the NBA will have twenty two teams fighting for the playoffs. This is going to consist of all twenty two teams playing eight regular season games to determine the seeding of the playoffs that are allegedly going to take place at the end of July.

The twenty two team tournament style format that the NBA will most likely use will consists of the one through eight seed of each conference and six teams that are six games within a playoff spot. Only one team in the Eastern Conference (Washington Wizards) is six games within a playoff spot with a 24-40 record. The Western Conference has five teams within six games of a playoff spot (Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs & Suns) with the worst record being 26-39 held by the Phoenix Suns. If multiple teams are within four games of the eighth seed in the playoffs, they will each play a ‘sudden death’ style game for a spot at the 9th seed, and the 9th seed will play the 8th seed in a best of three series for a spot at the NBA playoffs.

The teams that are going to be involved in this twenty two game tournament will be the Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Heat, Pacers, 76ers, Nets, Magic, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, Thunder, Rockets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs and Suns.