NBA vs NHL Playoffs

There's been a lot of debate *in the media* and hostility *in my group chat* about the NBA Playoffs vs NHL Playoffs. It feels like you have to pick a side when both start on the same exact day and their rounds have lined up perfectly so far. Conference Finals are underway as of Tuesday Night in both leagues, and their Finals will likely align as well. And despite how different fans from either side will tell you their sport is, the 2 Leagues' Postseasons have played out more similarly than you might think so far.

The main argument I hear from Hockey fans is that NHL playoff series are way more competitive than NBA playoff series. I've always thought that was crazy, but there are lots of uncompetitive series in the Opening Round of the NBA Postseason. Both 1 seeds -- OKC and Cleveland -- swept their 8-seeded opponent easily. So I pulled out the brackets and had a look. In the 1st round, you can make the argument easily:

NHL 1st Round: (2) 7-game series, (3) 6-game series, (3) 5-game series

NBA 1st Round: (2) 7-game series, (1) 6-game series, (3) 5-game series, (2) 4-game sweeps

But it's closer than I expected. Same amount of 7-games, just less competitive Top Seed/Last seed games -- which makes sense. I thought another big component would be the blowout factor of NBA because "Every game is a blowout." Which is fair for people who don't watch the sport to say, because box scores can look real lobsided in the NBA. So I tried to do some math, and I equated a 20+ point win in an NBA playoff game to a 4+ goal win in an NHL playoff game (which may or may not be fair, Apples to Oranges with these sports, but I'd be interested to hear what others think would qualify as a blowout in either sport). These were the results:

NHL 1st Round 4+ Goal Wins: 2, 3, 0, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0 = 10 total

NBA 1st round 20+ Point Wins: 1, 1, 1, 0, 3, 1, 0, 1 = 8 total (adding 19-point wins to it would = 11)

So that doesn't feel like an answer either to me. Then we get to the 2nd Round of each League's Postseason -- Conference Semifinals. Before getting to results, I think it's worth noting that from a parity point of view, both Leagues had their 1 seeds advance (NHL has 4, NBA 2) and saw 2 road underdogs win their series (Oilers & Panthers, Timberwolves & Warriors). The 2nd round results were as follows:

NHL 2nd Round: (1) 7-game series, (1) 6-game series, (2) 5-game series

NBA 2nd Round: (1) 7-game series, (1) 6-game series, (2) 5-game series

Every lower/worse-seeded team in the NHL won their 2nd Round series, and 3/4 worse-seeded teams won their series in the NBA -- setting up unprecedented Conference Finals Rounds. So nearly identical results from a series/underdog standpoint. The NBA particularly seemed really bad for blowouts in Round 2, and from the limited Hockey I watched, I didn't see the same. So once again I broke out the calculator:

NHL 1st Round 4+ Goal Wins: 2, 0, 2, 1 = 5 total games

NBA 1st round 20+ Point Wins: 2, 1, 2, 3 = 8 total games

So I think it's more than fair to say the NBA was less competitive than NHL in the 2nd Round, but I personally would make the argument that neither were. Both of the Game 7's -- Nuggets vs Thunder and Panthers vs Maple Leafs -- were absolutely massacres (125-93, 6-1).

In short, while they couldn't be more different as sports, and as much as everyone wants to argue that their sport's playoff is more competitive/interesting/etc -- the final results have been pretty similar.

Another thing that makes these sports incredibly similar to me, is that the postseason of each is so much more interesting than the regular season. It's long been a gag that the NBA regular season doesn't matter -- ever since load management took center stage around 2013 there's been a narrative about the reg. season being a snooze-fest. And I'm not gonna sit here and act like I watch a ton of regular seasons games every year -- I certainly don't. But I do think it's overblown and they're taking steps as a league to make playing 70+ games a priority. But NHL has issues with it's regular season, too. They have a long schedule and interest wanes heavily throughout. The most exciting part of the NHL season has been their All-Star games -- which absolutely ruled and were electric -- but I think says a lot about interest in their own regular season as a whole.

I also think it's hilarious that the NHL season is also 82 games -- yet another similarity. So these leagues start their seasons at the same time, have the same time of year for All-Star Break, start their playoffs on the same exact day, same amount of teams make the playoffs, and they play the same amount of games.

I say all of this to say, that despite always being a Basketball guy over a Hockey guy, that there is a lot to love about both Leagues' Postseasons. Playoff Hockey is fucking electric -- when the Blues were in, I was locked in to every game, living and dying with every play despite watching < 5 games prior to the Ploffs. It's magnetic, it's enthralling, it's non-stop excitement and angst while they're playing because there's hardly any breaks in the action. Power Plays, Monster Hits into the boards, sick goals and sick saves. And I was mostly interested for the Blues, but I've even found myself watching games in Round 2 without a rooting interest just because the games are great (1st 4 games of Panthers/Leafs were electric).

NHL Fans also have one more very fair gripe about NBA: comparably, NBA players are pussies next to NHLers. Some of the hits these guys absorb would put the baddest NBA player on hospice. Brady Tkachuk would put Draymond in a full body cast *insert Spongebob character*. NBA players are obviously freak athletes and freaks of nature physically -- but they're more similar to Soccer players when it comes to taking contact. Speaking of -- incredibly sick that the NHL has a penalty for embellishment. NBA should adopt this: if a player flops, he's out for 2 minutes and we're running 4 on 5. I'm so serious. NBA Power Plays would be tight -- Willing to workshop.

I just have a hard time getting locked in for non-Blues teams because I don't know many of the players, coaches, or have a strong understanding of game strategy. With basketball, I know exactly what I'm watching and who I'm watching. I understand the X's and O's on a basic level, so when I watch a Playoff game, I can understand the strategy involved on both ends. I think that's the real barrier-to-entry for both sports: people gravitate to what they know. Especially when they don't have skin in the game/a rooting interest. To Hockey's credit, I assume there's a ton of strategy and play design stuff that is just way over my head -- and probably a lot of other people's. Maybe that's why NBA is more popular, because it's a little more accessible.

Regardless of what side you take, I think the most important takeaway is that both sports feature some of the greatest athletes in the world, and the Playoffs bring an intensity out of these athletes that make it an entirely different game. There have been UNREAL games throughout the Playoffs on both sides. Fuck the final result -- but the Blues/Jets Game 7 with a game-tying goal with < 2 seconds remaining, that's fucking awesome. Aaron Gordon of the Nuggets hitting not one, but two Game-Winners in consecutive rounds, is fucking awesome. Seeing teams Battle it out all game then have to grind out an Overtime -- especially with Hockey's Golden Goal -- is FUCKING AWESOME.

So why not enjoy both? Even I am finding myself watching NHL games now. I'll be going back and forth between OKC/MIN and FLA/CAR like Ray Allen tomorrow night. If you're struggling, just throw some money on a team in the League you don't like as much to keep yourself interested (bet responsibly). Don't take for granted the Postseason of any pro sports league. We'll all be begging for NHL/NBA playoffs in a few weeks -- when the Dog Days of Summer til' Football set in.

That's the real moral of Today's story -- both of these sports are 2nd Fiddle to NFL anyways. No sport has a stranglehold on us all like Football does. God I can't wait for NFL Season to come back. I love sports.