Adam Silver: Playoff seeding likely to change, some teams still losing money

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was on hand to address assembled media at Las Vegas Summer League on Tuesday.

Because of the success of summer league, the NBA moved its annual board of governors and competition committee meetings to Nevada in the middle of July each year.

Playoff Seeding

It was reported in late June that the NBA would examine changing the way teams are seeded for the playoffs, and that appears to be moving forward swiftly. Silver has long admitted the system could use tweaking, and both meetings this week included discussions around the best way to seed teams moving forward.

The competition committee's recommendation is seeding teams one through eight based on conference standings, eliminating any benefit that division winners receive in playoff seeding.

That would mean the Portland Trail Blazers wouldn't have nabbed the fourth seed simply by way of winning their division, despite a record inferior to some lower-seeded teams.

The proposal was not voted on by the board of governors, as the league wants teams to have the opportunity to discuss it with general managers and coaches, but the commissioner thinks that format will be in place for 2015-16.

"It is my expectation that that change will be adopted," Silver said.

Baseline Cameras

Silver also addressed growing concerns over players getting injured due to the close proximity of camera operators on the baseline, beneath the baskets. LeBron James cutting his head open in the NBA Finals opens eyes, it turns out, and the long-standing concern may soon be addressed.

The current idea is to widen the escape lanes beneath the basket by one foot, while also adding additional escape lanes to give players more options for safe passage when barreling into the baseline.

Other Notes

• On the potential for a team in Las Vegas, Silver said it is "not realistic in the short term." He expressed optimism that the Milwaukee Bucks will stay in Wisconsin long term and is confident the team's new arena deal will be passed.
  • "We are not in an expansion mode," Silver said when asked if Vegas could land a team outside of the Bucks' situation.
• On potential changes to the July moratorium, he iterated that "nobody had a great idea how to change it, frankly."
  • "It was not a great look," Silver said of the DeAndre Jordan saga but calls it a "breakdown in the system" rather than the norm.
  • Any changes, including shortening the period, would have to be collectively bargained.
• On changes to the "Hack-a-Shaq" issue, Silver said the "status quo" would be maintained. He said the league will continue to monitor it but there was a "strong sense" that no change was warranted.
• Silver was asked about players discussing free agency with each other and planning moves together, but he suggested nothing would change. "It's part of the world," Silver said, recognizing that players are going to talk with each other and that's incredibly difficult - and potentially restricting - to legislate.
• On the idea of either players or the league opting out of the collective bargaining agreement in 2017, Silver maintained optimism that the two sides will be able to work together and avoid a work stoppage. He did, however, toe the ownership line in suggesting that despite the enormous growth of the league, a "significant amount of teams" are losing money. Union head Michele Roberts has been clear how she feels about that.