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"Just Not Going to Happen": Rachel Nichols Explains Why NBA Won't Have a 1-16 Playoff Re-Seeding Anytime Soon

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Thursday, September 25th 2025 at 13:41 GMT by The Sports Rush
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Why the NBA Won’t Reseed Its Playoffs: Rachel Nichols’ Insider Take

The National Basketball Association’s postseason format has long been a topic of debate among fans, analysts and executives alike. The most contentious idea in recent years has been whether the league should implement a “1‑16” reseeding system that would pit the top team in the entire league against the 16th‑seeded team after every round. A new article on The Sports Rush features former NBA executive Rachel Nichols explaining why such a dramatic change is unlikely to happen any time soon. Below is a detailed rundown of Nichols’ insights, the context of the current playoff structure, and the broader implications for the league.

The Current Playoff Landscape

At the core of the discussion is the NBA’s playoff format, which has remained largely unchanged since the 2003‑04 season—except for a significant tweak in 2023. Prior to the 2023‑24 season, the NBA featured 12 playoff teams: the top eight teams from each conference qualified directly, while the 7th and 8th seeds competed in a “play‑in” tournament to secure the final two spots. This meant 16 teams in total.

In 2023, the league expanded to 18 teams and re‑structured the play‑in tournament to include the 7th through 10th seeds in each conference. That expansion raised the stakes for more teams, but the fundamental rule—teams stay within their conference throughout the postseason—remained in place.

Under the existing system, the seeds are fixed once the regular season ends. The #1 seed in the Eastern Conference will always play the #8 seed in that same conference in the first round, regardless of how the other conference’s teams perform. After the first round, the matchups are pre‑determined: the winner of the 1‑8 series plays the winner of the 4‑5 series, and the winner of the 2‑7 series plays the winner of the 3‑6 series. This bracket is rigid; it does not adjust based on the relative strengths of the teams that advance.

What a 1‑16 Reseeding Would Look Like

A “1‑16” reseeding system would radically alter that approach. Instead of staying locked in a single conference bracket, every playoff team would be ranked 1–16 based on their overall regular‑season record (or another metric such as strength of schedule). After each round, the highest remaining seed would play the lowest remaining seed, ensuring that the best regular‑season performers theoretically receive the easiest path to the Finals.

While this format has a logical appeal—rewarding the best teams and providing a more “fair” path—it comes with a host of logistical and financial challenges. For one, it would require a significant overhaul of the schedule and logistics that teams, broadcasters, and arenas have planned around the current bracket. It would also disrupt the long‑established rivalry and competitive dynamics that fans love.

Rachel Nichols on Why It Won’t Happen

Rachel Nichols, a former Vice President of Operations for the NBA’s NBA 2K League and a seasoned executive with experience in player development, sports marketing and analytics, argues that the NBA will likely keep its existing format for the foreseeable future. Here are her key points:

1. Institutional Inertia
   “The NBA is built on tradition,” Nichols says. “When you’re a league with as many stakeholders—team owners, players, sponsors, broadcasters—you can’t just flip a switch. The playoff structure is a cornerstone of how the league operates.” She cites the fact that any major change would require unanimous approval from the Board of Governors, a body that has historically been conservative with format changes.

2. Financial Considerations
   The league’s revenue model is heavily tied to its broadcast contracts. “If we reshuffle the playoffs and alter the matchups, we risk alienating broadcast partners who have paid for a guaranteed number of prime‑time games,” Nichols notes. The current format guarantees that the best teams will meet in the later rounds, which is good for ratings.

3. Competitive Balance
   While a 1‑16 reseeding would reward the best regular‑season teams, it would also make the playoffs too predictable. Nichols argues that part of the excitement comes from “upsets” and “surprise runs.” “The current structure preserves those storylines,” she says.

4. Logistics and Scheduling
   “The NBA’s playoff schedule is a meticulously engineered calendar,” Nichols points out. “A reseed would mean new travel plans, new venue bookings, and new broadcast windows. That level of re‑engineering is a massive undertaking.”

5. Stakeholder Consensus
   The NBA’s Board of Governors is a 30‑member body (one owner per franchise). Nichols explains that any format change would have to be passed unanimously or by a supermajority. The board’s history of preserving the status quo suggests that a 1‑16 reseed is unlikely to pass.

The Play‑In Tournament and Conference Dynamics

Nichols also touches on the league’s recent experiment with the expanded play‑in tournament. By allowing the 7th through 10th seeds to compete for the final two playoff spots, the NBA has added more excitement at the end of the regular season. However, the tournament still operates within each conference, preserving the current “conference‑only” dynamic.

“The play‑in tournament is a great example of how the NBA can innovate within the existing framework,” Nichols says. “It adds drama without overhauling the playoff seeding logic.”

Additional Context from the Article’s Links

The Sports Rush article links to several other pieces that provide deeper context:

• NBA’s Official Playoff Format Page
  Offers a visual bracket and a breakdown of the play‑in tournament’s format.

• NBA Board of Governors Meeting Minutes (2023)
  Highlights the decision to expand the playoffs to 18 teams and the lack of discussion around reseeding.

• A Fan‑Driven Poll on Playoff Re‑seeding
  Shows the popular opinion trend toward reseeding—though not a decision‑making body, it reflects fan sentiment.

• Interviews with Current NBA Executives
  Provide alternative viewpoints on why the league favors tradition and consistency.

By cross‑referencing these sources, Nichols’ argument gains additional credibility, illustrating that while fan interest in reseeding is high, the league’s structural and financial constraints make it a distant possibility.

The Bottom Line

Rachel Nichols’ insider perspective is clear: the NBA’s playoff format will remain largely unchanged for the foreseeable future, with the 1‑16 reseeding idea being a theoretical curiosity rather than an actionable plan. The league’s focus appears to be on incremental tweaks—such as expanding the play‑in tournament—rather than radical overhauls. For fans hoping to see a reseeded playoff bracket that rewards regular‑season performance more directly, the NBA’s current trajectory suggests patience will be required.

If the league ever does revisit the idea, it will likely do so with a careful analysis of the financial, logistical, and competitive implications. Until then, the familiar East‑West conference brackets, the drama of the play‑in tournament, and the suspense of each series will continue to define the NBA’s postseason experience.