Dear Commissioner Silver, the NBA’s Orlando restart needs the Elam Ending

First round of the NBA playoffs

Bear with me.

Yes, implementing the Elam Ending in the NBA playoffs is, at best, implausible. At worst, insane to even postulate. In fairness, this is more an exercise in creative thought than it is an actual suggestion. In the most unique, unprecedented season in the NBA’s history, the Elam Ending could act as an equally unprecedented resolution to injury concerns after a long layoff.

The evident concern here is how much potential impact the format could have on the outcome of a playoff series. Elam, the architect, sees none. “I don’t see the Elam Ending as an advantage to either team before the start of a game. Technically, I don’t see the Elam Ending as an advantage to either team even when the untimed final stretch of the game begins,” he contended.

Designed to “eliminate the artificial disadvantages that a trailing team normally faces during the final stretch of a game,” Elam wholeheartedly believes that his format effectuates those aims. “A trailing team is still at a disadvantage, but the deficit itself is the disadvantage – as it should be,” he professed.

If implemented for only the first round of the postseason, the Elam Ending could perhaps expedite the more lopsided matchups (1v8, 2v7) and provide instant classics by way of augmenting competition among the middle seeds (3v6, 4v5). Every game in each first-round series would end on a game-winner. A presumable cascade of signature shots from an array of the league’s stars to claim victory in the playoffs is more than palatable. Not to mention, it could potentially set ratings-records for a first-round series slate.

One major downfall in this scenario would be no overtime basketball in the first round. A fair gripe, indeed. However, that could be in the best interest of the players. The layoff from the league suspension on March 11 until the scrimmage games tipped on July 22 was slightly longer than a standard offseason.

The NBA has stated that it hopes to get the players back on the court for a 2020-21 season in early December. If that is the intent, the best strategy would include doing everything possible on their end to preserve player health through (and beyond) that date. With that in mind, limiting overtimes for one round of the playoffs doesn’t seem egregious.

Again – this was much more an exercise in thought than any endorsement of the posed resolution as a panacea. That said, player safety should always come first, and the Elam Ending could act as a pseudo-preventative measure to aid in preserving player health in the bubble. Yes, sadly, no overtime. So many game-winners, though. (Oh, and the coveted TV ratings.)

When explicitly asked if the Elam Ending could put an asterisk on the 2019-20 NBA season if used in the playoffs, Elam was blunt.

“No,” he told Hoops Habit.