The NBA has been fun this year but a few easy tweaks would make it a lot better.

1. Make the seeding fair.

 

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/its-time-for-true-seeding-in-the-nba-playoffs/

The 2014 NBA playoffs round 1 has been fun, but these brackets would be more fun.

The imbalance between West and East is only going to get worse.  Phoenix and Minnesota are already playoff worthy and do you think the Lakers will stay bad forever?

The Rockets and Clippers are going to keep getting better. 

2. Two minute warning, then a 16 - second shot clock. 

Nobody likes the foul, jack up a shot, foul routine at the end of a game when one team is behind by enough.  So, here’s a better idea partially stolen from football - a two minute warning.

Have a timeout (for high priced commercials) and for the teams to gather themselves, change players, etc. before the final push.  Then run a 16 - second shot clock.

The NBA already has slightly different rules for the last two minutes, like the use of replay review.  Why not just formalize this special period like in football?  Many stadium announcers already call "two minutes!" with anticipation.

A 16 - second shot clock would result maybe three or four extra possessions to give the team behind a chance to close the gap without fouling.  It would also prevent the team ahead from holding the ball for 15 seconds before doing anything.  Nobody likes the foul routine and, equally, does anybody like watching a guy dribble back and forth 45 feet from the basket to run down the clock?

In a close game, it wouldn’t change a lot - those games are already played out and are by far the most exciting games - but the faster clock would add some exciting urgency.

3. Add a referee who looks only for flopping.

And make it a technical foul.

4. (Harder to do but ...) Bring in outside refs.

If NBA refereeing is unbiased, why do refs work for the league?

In the NCAA tournament, refs are brought in from a league different than either of the two teams playing.

Could the NBA do the same thing, maybe just for the playoffs?