Can someone explain the Conference Seedings?

[Kaydow]

ESPN Current Conference Seedings are (1) Lakers (2) Spurs (3) Rockets (4) Nuggets (5) Hornets (6) Jazz (7) Blazers (8) Mavs.

New Orleans has a better winning % than the Nuggets, but I understand why the Nuggest are seeded higher - they are in 1st place and division title would take precedence. Okay, fine . . . but why is Houston the (3) seed when they are in 2nd place in their division? Why are they seeded ahead of the Nuggets (who are currently in 1st place in the NW Division)??

 

[The Sebastian Express]

ESPN Current Conference Seedings are (1) Lakers (2) Spurs (3) Rockets (4) Nuggets (5) Hornets (6) Jazz (7) Blazers (8) Mavs.

New Orleans has a better winning % than the Nuggets, but I understand why the Nuggest are seeded higher - they are in 1st place and division title would take precedence. Okay, fine . . . but why is Houston the (3) seed when they are in 2nd place in their division? Why are they seeded ahead of the Nuggets (who are currently in 1st place in the NW Division)??

Division winners are only guaranteed a top four standing.

 

[Kaydow]

Division winners are only guaranteed a top four standing.

Got it.

 

[Tince]

Division winners are only guaranteed a top four standing.

In reality, they're guaranteed a 5th seed, because being a 4th seed doesn't mean they automatically get home-court advantage.

 

[Kaydow]

In reality, they're guaranteed a 5th seed, because being a 4th seed doesn't mean they automatically get home-court advantage.

??

Doesn't the #4 seed always play the #5 in the 1st round? When would that not be HCA for the #4?

 

[Tince]

??

Doesn't the #4 seed always play the #5 in the 1st round? When would that not be HCA for the #4?

HCA is determined by record, not by seed. If the #4 seed has a worse record than a #5 seed, the #5 seed gets home court advantage. I'm sure how this slipped the league when they changed the rule because there is no advantage to giving the division winner the #4 seed when they don't get HCA.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/matchups

These possible first-round playoff matchups are based on the current NBA standings.

The three division winners and the second-place team with the best record compete for the top four seeds in a conference, based on win-loss record and tiebreakers (see tiebreakers below).

The next four teams in the conference standings are seeded No. 5 to No. 8.

Home-court advantage in all playoff series is determined by win-loss record, not seeding.

 

[Ed O]

The reason for this is so a team doesn't INTENTIONALLY sink from 5th to 6th place to play the weakest division winner, which would sometimes be a wise move if the top three seeds were guaranteed to division winners.

Ed O.

 

[Tince]

The reason for this is so a team doesn't INTENTIONALLY sink from 5th to 6th place to play the weakest division winner, which would sometimes be a wise move if the top three seeds were guaranteed to division winners.

Ed O.

My issue isn't the 5th vs 6th seed, it's the league saying that they're giving the division winner the 4th seed, when in reality all they are giving them is the 5th seed.