Top 4 Seeds go To Finals Weekend

I must be devastated! Well actually I am, but not for the reasons you probably think.

Am I upset that I got the two predictions wrong, well not particularly. Of course I’d rather have been right but at least I actually made some predictions. I don’t do sitting on the fence, unless something is truly too close to call. Lots of people are saying that I do not know what I am talking about. Well they thought that before these predictions so I won’t let that keep me awake. I can’t help but wonder what their predictions were.

I have been wrong before and I am sure I will be wrong again.

I am devastated because we will not get to see some great players of the past season at this years BBL Finals Weekend. Who am I talking about? Well let’s start with James Life and Anthony Paez of the Worcester Wolves. These guys have been a joy to see all season long and have really lit up the BBL. They have finished 1 and 2 in the shooting stats in possibly one of the closest contests ever.

When the TV cameras covered the Worcester Wolves, Life was unfortunately injured and did not play, so the TV audience did not get a chance to see him in action.

I do hope that they will both be back next time out.

The next guy I am sorry we will not see at Birmingham is Shelby Chaney, who was one of my favourite players this season. When he first arrived Shelby really struggled in the BBL, but if there was an award for most improved player over the season then in my opinion he would win it hands down.

I remember when Lynard Stewart, mikeshaft.com MVP of the season, first arrived in the UK he also struggled coming to terms with our game and our referees. But I saw something in him then that I see in Shelby Chaney now. Chaney has got all the attributes needed to dominate in this league and I hope he too returns next season.

I am also disappointed that we will not get to see the Sheffield Sharks at Birmingham. Now let’s get one thing straight, the Sharks have been terrible for most of the season but in the last few weeks they have really come together and started to play like a Championship team.

The game at Newcastle on the last day of the season was sensational and their performance despite getting beaten in overtime was awesome. But for the first time in 8 years there will be no Sharks at Finals Weekend.

That leaves 2 teams who got to the Play-Offs and got knocked out. The Scottish Rocks have been sensational for most of the season and two Coach of the Month Awards for Head Coach Sterling Davis should attest to that. But they did not make it. Consequently, no Yanders at Birmingham, no Hampton and no Sterling Davis. Again I think this is a great loss.

The final team is Everton Tigers who, in my opinion have been a joy to watch all season long. Yes they have lost some games and some that the really should not have lost. They were also defeated in the spectacular TV game from the Echo Arena in Liverpool. Their failure at Guildford means there will be no Richard Midgley, no Calvin Davis no David Aliu and no Chris Haslam. I think they will be missed.

Mind you, we should remember that this was their first ever season in the BBL , and I think their Management, Head Coach, players and fans should be congratulated on all that they have achieved over the past few months.

Now we all went into the season knowing the rules and I am not making excuses. These teams lost in the Play-Offs and are out.

But, you know, sometimes the rules just need changing.

What is even worst than not having these teams at Finals Weekend is that we will not have their fans there either.

Now let’s live in a dream world for a moment. Let’s imagine that the Mike Shaft prediction had come through. Then there would be no Eagles fans, no Heat fans, no Raiders fans and no Lions fans. I say no fans of these teams and yes there would be a few diehards, but the vast majority of these fans would have stayed away because their team did not make it.

The last two BBL Finals have been a joy because of the fans – Eagles of course, Lions and Heat; and everybody, by now, must know about the green wave that will be seen coming in from the Southwest this weekend. They were making that trip long before their team even joined the BBL.

Instead this year there will be no Sharks fans, no Tigers fans, no Rocks fans and no Wolves fans and I really think we will miss them. But I do have a suggestion…

Last weekend I read an excellent article by Simon Rushworth on Basketball 247, in which he suggested that we should bin the Play-Offs because it was all a foregone conclusion and the Eagles would win it all.

Well, it is quite possible that the Eagles will win it all and if the did they will have deserved it. They have been awesome all season. But if any of the other teams win then, I believe, they will also deserve it.

Like Simon, I too believe we should do away with the Play-Offs, but for a totally different reason and with a totally different outcome.

We should do away with the Play-Offs because, in my opinion, they serve no great purpose at the moment.

I can remember back in the day when Play-Offs were the best of three and that was exciting. Who can forget Manchester having to come back from 1 down to defeat lower seed Birmingham in 1998/99 or London Towers being taken to 3 games by Newcastle in the same year.

I can remember when there were 16 teams in the BBL and it was really worth having Play-Offs. I can also remember back in the 1989/90 season when there were just 8 teams in the League and there were no Play-Offs. The top 4 went to Finals Weekend.

I believe that when we have 20 teams in the BBL, and we can go back to the best of 3 or even a best of 5, that is when we should bring back the Play-Offs.

So what is my big suggestion? Well here it is…

We scrap the Play-Offs and the top 8 teams go to an expanded Finals Weekend.

We play 4 Quarter Final games on Saturday, 2 Semi Final games on Sunday and the Championship Final on Bank Holiday Monday. Now that will be a basketball event no self-respecting fan could miss. One weekend 7 games with all the top teams in the BBL, and all their fans as well. The whole of the NIA open and packed to the rafters. Just imagine!

It could be our own truly Big Dance.

Now that’s what I am talking about!

Mike SHAFT
Dateline – 28 04 08
Amended 29 04 08