PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT FOR EIGHTH SEEDS
Cohen’s Analysis: Wouldn’t it add more excitement and purpose if no team were officially out of playoff contention until the very end of the season? Currently, for example, about 10 teams are all but mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Similar to the format of the NCAA Tournament, the 16 teams that did not automatically qualify for the playoffs would be entered into a single-elimination conference-segregated bracket with the winners earning a playoff berth.
The teams with the better regular season records in each matchup would be rewarded with the home court.
This addition would give struggling teams an opportunity to make one final push. It also would encourage teams to not surrender in the final two months of the season knowing they are not officially out of the mix.