LeBron James just made the NBA more lopsided than ever, and people are already talking about playoff reform
- LeBron James' move to the Los Angeles Lakers has made the Western Conference far and away the better conference in the NBA.
- Some have already proposed re-formatting the playoffs to the 16 best teams instead of eight from each conference to balance it out.
- There's little reason for Eastern Conference teams to agree to that, but it's clear that the NBA's best action will take place out west.
LeBron James' decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers has the potential to reshape the NBA.
In the immediate aftermath there are fears that the NBA is now more lopsided than ever and that the best competition is in the Western Conference.
Many people already felt that was the case, but the game's best player joining a premier franchise in hopes of organizing a new super-team only increases those fears.
Indeed, the Golden State Warriors, with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, already rule the NBA. The Houston Rockets, headlined by James Harden and Chris Paul, seem poised to make another run this year after a 65-win season. The Oklahoma City Thunder are keeping Paul George and Russell Westbrook together. Players like Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jimmy Butler are all on teams that might not finish in the top four.
Now James is in the same conference.
Already some in the NBA world are talking about the idea of reformatting the playoffs and making it the 16 best teams rather than eight from each conference. The East has two prominent, talented teams in the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, but the rest of the conference seems to be a level below the West's best teams.
Within minutes of James' decision, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on "SportsCenter" that one team executive already texted him about playoff reform.
Plenty of others suggested the same or hinted at it:
Of course, Eastern Conference teams won't have much reason to vote for such a proposal. At the moment, it seems as though 10 Western Conference teams could be legitimate playoff contenders next season. There's little incentive for Eastern Conference teams to give them more room at making the postseason.
James dominated the Eastern Conference for the past eight years. This season will obviously have a new representative in the Finals, and other teams from the East will become pseudo contenders. But it seems for now that almost all of the best action will come in the West.