Should Successful Teams Be Given a Bye in the NBA Playoffs
The Golden State Warriors (led by Steph Curry, Clay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green) have just finished reaching the NBA Finals for the fifth straight year (2015–2019). Their sustained excellence has a resulted in the team playing 515 games over than last five seasons for an average of 103 games per year.
— The NBA’s four round best of seven series format guarantees that the finals participants will play appromiately at least 100 games per year —
The Cleveland Cavaliers (led by Lebron James) who reached the NBA finals four years in a row (2015–2018) played an average of 99 games per year during that stretch. The Miami (led by Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh) who also reached the NBA finals four years in a row (2011–2014) played an average of 104 games per year during that stretch.
Notice a pattern here, teams that reach the NBA finals in consecutive years are usually led by the same players. We are also beginning to see a pattern of star players breaking down from the wear and tear of the consecutive long NBA seasons. One can argue that this year may have been an abnormality with two stars (Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson) going down in the same game (Game 5). However, instead of Durant and Thompson, the star player casualties could have just as well been Kawhi Leonard or Steph Curry. Kawhi played a few games in the…
