Cleveland's one-sided NBA playoff win reveals problems with the game tournament

At the time of his creation, there were not many disadvantages of the NBA game tournament, a system that increases the competition during the dog era of the regular season and gives franchise franchise companies a hop.

The play-in tournament was developed by the head of the basketball strategy and the analytics Evan Wesch of the NBA and should upgrade intrigue and more teams offer the chance of a puncher.

To mention unnecessarily that this chance did not apply to the 2025 Miami Heat or Memphis Grizzlies. Instead, both were found for the Grafin, who were laid in the opening round with proverbial black eyes.

In the case of the heat, it was the first No. 10 seed to win the Play-in tournament, as most people were expected on Monday evening. And it was the latest sign of a big problem with the play-in tournament that should be addressed at some point.

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not capture any prisoners in their four-game swey and won the series with 122 points. It put the NBA record for the most one -sided series in the Playoff story and exceeded Orlando Magic 2010. To be honest, it wasn't even nearby:

Let's go deeper and give cleveland more recognition.

Since the first round was only a best-of-five format until 2003, this service does not catch up all From the blowout sweeps from the 1980s and 1990s.

Right?

In deeper ditches, they also broke the NBA record for the largest point differential in every playoff route with four games, regardless of the series. The previous record was held by the Los Angeles Lakers from 1986, who had managed to go against the Spurs and Mavericks against the Spurs and Mavericks.

Cleveland's offensive attack was as balanced as you will ever see. Five players scored an average of at least 14 points per game, and the CAVs alone had an offensive rating of 120.1 for HalfCourt owners. That was 24 points above the league average for this year's playoff field, the largest gap in NBA history.

In these four one -sided games, the CAVS 77 three hands drilled. They joined the 2021 Jazz, 2020 Rockets and the version of the CAVS (title winner) in 2016 for most threesome in every playoff range of four games.

Overall, her offensive attack led to a 63% effective field target percentage, which held for every four play span for the third highest in playoff history:

Randnote: These LeBron and Kyrie teams were borderline unfair.

This series is the strongest argument against the Play-in tournament since its foundation during the bubble 2020. No 37 win team should have been able to embarrass itself to this degree, as the current format allows.

Should the tournament be completely scrapped? No, but a change is required.

We understand why it exists. There is a March Madness feeling for the playoffs, in which they have the chance to get hot at the right time and create some magic. There is certainly a fair point to make the Cinderella stories attract incredible number of spectators and gather a fan base.

But this scenario is not that widespread in the NBA. It had never been.

Ironically, Miami would argue that it is a lively proof that the game tournament is a great idea. After all, her 2023 run for the NBA final – the dethroned number 1 in the first round – was one of the most attractive storylines in the past decade.

They are rightly proud of this 2023 team and what it has achieved when you consider that they were counted in every series.

But there is a big difference: in 2023 Miami was a competent playoff caliber team. They were a 44-profit team that ended with the seventh record in the east, while the season had a league average net assessment and was led by a violent playoff actor in Jimmy Butler, the opponent frightened.

This current version of the heat ended seven victories under this brand … and was dead on arrival.

We have just seen an offensive juggernach that distributed an eight seed with almost half of the regular season wins. No exaggeration here – the heat could have won every single game between January 15 and the end of the regular season and end Despite it Completed in the overall ranking behind Cleveland.

At least this serial result provides information on simple optimization that should be carried out should not be rewarded with a place in the play-in tournament if they are under 40 wins.

There must be a kind of cutoff, even if it seems arbitrary, to maintain the integrity of what a playoff bending space should be. If there is a knock on the NBA compared to other professional leagues, reaching the post -season is classified as “easier” or not as impressive.

It would have the NBA to agree to the NFL and MLB because its playoff places are more difficult to achieve.

There are only two positive aspects that a team like Miami can point out, although he is decimated on national television and can be mastered all summer with an acidic taste: the adventure boost that gives the younger players of the team as well as the additional income that a franchise achieves from the organization of two playoff games.

But seriously – does anyone think that the youth of the heat benefited from Shellacking Cleveland? At the beginning of the second quarter of game 4, none of the players seemed to be on the floor.

You will not meet many owners in favor of the game tournament's game. These two additional home games in ticket sales, concessions and general playoff income serve as an incentive that most fans seem to forget. Since this system offers more teams the opportunity to achieve the post -season, it doesn't go anywhere.

I would only address the NBA and its competitive committee to check the standards that each team should meet to achieve the game. At a certain point in time, the league has to wonder whether what happened with the heat, a team with 37 victories that should have been on vacation, good for the league and its playoff audience.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have a lead in preparing for their next matchup.

You will take over the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. Indiana is currently leading this series 3-1, with Milwaukee's future looking bleak after Damian Lillard's unfortunate Achilles break.