The Phoenix Suns were perfect, and it did not matter. The NBA invited them to the Orlando bubble, they won every eight games they played, and it did not matter. Devin Booker Emerged as a Superstar, Deandre Ayton proved that he is more than just the man who lined up for Luka Doncic, and this huge Suns roster won over fans who ridiculed her for even being invited to the bubble . The young, hungry Suns would not lose, and for all that winning they were picked for the playoffs.
After going 8-0 in the bubble, the Suns tied for the no. 9 seed in the Western Conference; both she and the Memphis Grizzlies had identical 34-39 records. Memphis took the season series against Phoenix 3-1 back in the form, thus winning the tiebreaker to place them in a play-in game against the Portland Trail Blazers for the final post-season key in the West. Phoenix almost made the play-in game – if Caris LeVert of the Brooklyn Nets had hit one last second jumper Thursday night to defeat the Blazers, Portland would have fallen behind Phoenix in the standings and the Suns would have played on. Instead, we are left with an outcome that feels wrong. Why were the Suns even invited to Orlando when there was a scenario where they could go undefeated and still be sent home?
I have a solution. While the Suns were not eligible for the Western play-in game, they would still have to participate. They would have to take part in a play-in game against the Orlando Magic for the no. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. This would be against the rules set by the NBA for the restart of the bubble, but it would be the best way for the league to deal with the awkwardness of a team that completes bubble certification and still falls short. Here are three reasons why this is the obvious move:
1. The Suns deserve it
The Suns finished with a record of 34-39; the Magic are a game less at 33-40, and the Suns play in a smarter division in a smarter conference. The Suns went 8-0 in Orlando. The Magic went 3-5. The Suns certainly seem to be the better team – and what I’ve suggested is that the Magic still prove me wrong and defeat the Suns. If they can’t, they won’t make it into the playoffs.
2. There is no need for conferences now
The NBA has held Eastern and Western conferences since its inception, hypothetically to cut travel. I like this format, even though the East has been significantly weaker of the two conferences for most of the 21st century. (We should all take less and shorter plane rides!)
But if ever there was a circumstance in which we do not have to differentiate teams geographically, it is when each team already plays at the same location. A Suns running through the East playoffs could pit them against the Bucks, Heat, and Celtics, and in most seasons would have to move tens of thousands of miles from Phoenix to Milwaukee, Miami, and Boston, respectively. This year, the Suns would probably stay in the same hotel as some of those opponents!
3. It would be cool, and that’s what matters most
Sure, it would be unfair to suddenly jump this solution on the Magic. Orlando has been playing the last few weeks under the suspicion that if it was the no. 8 seed and finished four games prior to the no. 9 seed, it would advance directly to a first-round series instead of winning a game-in-game to qualify. But the league needs to prioritize over what’s fun over what’s honest. In fact, it’s not as if it’s breaking some long-standing tradition by adding a second play-in game to the NBA’s resurgent bubble rebel. For June, there was no such thing as a “play-by-game with the NBA re-bubble rebel.”
So much of this format is random. The NBA just decided that the cut for inviting teams into the bubble was that they were six or fewer games back from the no. 8 seed in their conference; it simply decided that each team would play eight games in the restart; it simply decided that teams would be eligible for a play-in-play only if they were four or fewer games back from the no. 8 sied. This whole thing was made 10 weeks ago. Why would the league be looking at rules they threw together on the fly?
Let the Suns just play the Magic. Whoever wins would probably be destroyed by the Bucks. However, let’s get some more basketball with single elimination. The Suns have just spent the last two weeks proving that they will not come down without a fight. Give them more chances to fight instead of a plane ticket at home!
