Hypothetical 1-16 Seeded NBA Playoffs by Year

[OSR stands with Israel]

Starting with the 2004-05 Season since that was the first year with 30 teams. This is 2004-05 seeding and tiebreaker will go to whoever was the higher seed IRL.

Also if you get the same matchup as IRL, I will go with the IRL result for the sake of this exercise

1. Suns 62-20
2. Heat 59-23
3. Spurs 59-23
4. Mavs 58-24
5. Pistons 54-28
6. Sonics 52-30
7. Rockets 51-31
8. Kings 50-32
9. Nuggets 49-33
10. Bulls 47-35
11. Celtics 45-37
12. Wizards 45-37
13. Grizzlies 45-37
14. Pacers 44-38
15. Wolves 44-38
16. 76ers 43-39

First Round:

Suns over Sixers in 4
Heat over Wolves in 4
Spurs over Pacers in 5
Mavs over Grizzlies in 4
Pistons over Wizards in 4
Sonics over Celtics in 5
Rockets over Bulls in 6
Nuggets over Kings in 7


Second Round

Suns over Nuggets in 5
Heat over Rockets in 6
Spurs over Sonics in 6(RL 2nd round too)
Pistons over Mavs in 6

Semi Finals:

Pistons over Suns in 6
Spurs over Heat in 6

Finals:

Spurs over Pistons in 7



So in 2005 not much changes as the 4 teams that made the Conference Finals are the same 4 that make it here imo. A Major difference is McGrady does make it out of round 1 here so his reputation would be different

[OSR stands with Israel]

2005-06:

1. Pistons 64-18
2. Spurs 63-19
3. Mavs 60-22
4. Suns 54-28
5. Heat 52-30
6. Cavs 50-32
7. Nets 49-33
8. Grizzlies 49-33
9. Clippers 47-35
10. Lakers 45-37
11. Nuggets 44-38
12. Kings 44-38
13. Wizards 42-40
14. Pacers 41-41
15. Bulls 41-41
16. Jazz 41-41


First Round:

Pistons over Jazz in 5
Spurs over Bulls in 5
Mavs over Pacers in 4
Suns over Wizards in 6
Heat over Kings in 6
Cavs over Nuggets in 6(you get LeBron vs Melo)
Nets over Lakers in 6(this would be a worse matchup for the Lakers than the No Amare Suns were)
Clippers over Grizzlies in 6

Second Round:

Pistons over Clippers in 5
Spurs over Nets in 5
Mavs over Cavs in 5
Heat over Suns in 6(If Amare was healthy, I think the Suns win this)

Semi Finals:

Heat over Pistons in 6
Mavs over Spurs in 7

Finals:

Heat over Mavs in 6


The main thing that changes here is Mavs vs Spurs would be in the in the equalivent of the Conference Finals(Semi Finals) rather than being the 2nd round. Also you get a young LeBron vs young Melo.

You also get Kobe vs Vince/Kidd which is a worse matchup for the Lakers than Nash/Barbosa was.

[OSR stands with Israel]

2006-07:

1. Mavs 67-15
2. Suns 61-21
3. Spurs 58-24
4. Pistons 53-29
5. Rockets 52-30
6. Jazz 51-31
7. Cavs 50-32
8. Bulls 49-33
9. Raptors 47-35
10. Nuggets 45-37
11. Heat 44-38
12. Lakers 42-40
13. Warriors 42-30
14. Nets 41-41
15. Wizards 41-41
16. Magic 40-42


First Round:

Mavs over Magic in 4
Suns over Wizards in 4
Spurs over Nets in 5
Pistons over Lakers in 6
Warriors over Rockets in 6
Jazz over Heat in 5
Cavs over Nuggets in 6(Another LeBron vs Melo)
Bulls over Raptors in 6

Second Round:

Mavs over Bulls in 5
Suns over Cavs in 5
Spurs over Jazz in 5
Pistons over Warriors in 5

Semi Finals:

Mavs over Pistons in 6
Spurs over Suns in 6

Finals:

Spurs over Mavs in 7

Here things change dramatically as the Cavs dont play through an easy Eastern Conference which means they get bounced in round 2 and the Mavs make the finals as they pretty much dominated every team that year but the Warriors (who even in the regular season beat the Mavs 3-0 while the Mavs went 67-12 vs everyone else).

I do think the Spurs still win though as I don't think the Mavs team would have been able to come through in big moments at the time though

[OSR stands with Israel]

2007-08:

1. Celtics 66-16
2. Pistons 59-23
3. Lakers 57-25
4. Hornets 56-26
5. Spurs 56-26
6. Rockets 55-27
7. Suns 55-27
8. Jazz 54-28
9. Magic 52-30
10. Mavs 51-31
11. Nuggets 50-32
12. Warriors 48-34
13. Cavs 45-37
14. Wizards 41-41
15. Raptors 41-41
16. Blazers 41-41


First Round:

Celtics over Blazers in 7(Celtics actually struggled to get into groove at first and it took them 7 games to beat the 37 wins Hawks)
Pistons over Raptors in 5
Lakers over Wizards in 4
Hornets over Cavs in 7
Spurs over Warriors in 5
Rockets over Nuggets in 6
Suns over Mavs in 7
Jazz over Magic in 6

Second Round:

Celtics over Jazz in 6
Pistons over Suns in 6
Lakers over Rockets in 6
Spurs over Hornets in 7


Semi Finals:

Celtics over Spurs in 6
Lakers over Pistons in 6


Finals:

Celtics over Lakers in 6


So not much changes again

[OSR stands with Israel]

2008-09 NBA season:

1. Cavs 66-16
2. Lakers 65-17
3. Celtics 62-20
4. Magic 59-23
5. Nuggets 54-28
6. Spurs 54-28
7. Blazers 54-28
8. Rockets 53-29
9. Mavs 50-32
10. Hornets 49-33
11. Jazz 48-34
12.  Hawks 47-35
13. Suns 46-36
14. Heat 43-39
15. Sixers 41-41
16. Bulls 41-41


First Round:

Cavs over Bulls in 4
Lakers over Sixers in 4
Celtics over Heat in 7
Magic over Suns in 6
Nuggets over Hawks in 5
Spurs over Jazz in 6
Blazers over Hornets in 6
Rockets over Mavs in 6

Second Round:

Rockets over Cavs in 6
Lakers over Blazers in 6
Celtics over Spurs in 7
Nuggets over Magic in 7

Semi Finals:

Rockets over Nuggets in 6
Lakers over Celtics in 5(they easily beat a KG Less Celtics team)


Finals:

Lakers over Rockets in 7


Here there is a huge change as the Rockets make the finals and unlike the Magic they do provide a tough series to the Lakers(like they did in the 2nd round IRL). I also think the Cavs would lose to the Rockets as Artest's defense would frustrate a 2009 LeBron and the Cavs get destroyed inside by Yao as well.

[OSR stands with Israel]

2009-10 Season:

1. Cavs 61-21
2. Magic 59-23
3. Lakers 57-25
4. Mavs 55-27
5. Suns 54-28
6. Hawks 53-29
7. Nuggets 53-29
8. Jazz 53-29
9. Celtics 50-32
10. Blazers 50-32
11. Spurs 50-32
12. Thunder 50-32
13. Heat 47-35
14. Bucks 46-36
15. Bobcats 44-38
16. Rockets 42-30


First Round:

Cavs over Rockets in 5
Magic over Bobcats in 4
Lakers over Bucks in 4
Mavs over Heat in 6
Suns over Thunder in 6
Spurs over Hawks in 5
Nuggets over Blazers in 7
Celtics over Jazz in 5

Second Round:

Celtics over Cavs in 6
Magic over Nuggets in 5
Lakers over Spurs in 5
Suns over Mavs in 6

Semi Finals:

Celtics over Suns in 6
Lakers over Magic in 6


NBA Finals:

Lakers over Celtics in 7


Celtics still make the finals here and really not much change other than swapped matchups. So far 2007 is the only season with real change

[YE]

Booo I like regional playoff series.

[OSR stands with Israel]

2010-11 Season:

1. Bulls 62-20
2. Spurs 61-21
3. Heat 58-24
4. Lakers 57-25
5. Mavs 57-25
6. Celtics 56-26
7. Thunder 55-27
8. Magic 52-30
9. Nuggets 50-32
10. Blazers 48-34
11. Hornets 46-36
12. Grizzlies 46-36
13. Hawks 44-38
14. Rockets 43-39
15. Knicks 42-40
16. Sixers 41-41


First Round:

Bulls over Sixers in 5
Spurs over Knicks in 7
Heat over Rockets in 5
Lakers over Hawks in 5
Mavs over Grizzlies in 6
Celtics over Hornets in 6
Thunder over Blazers in 7
Magic over Nuggets in 6

Second Round:

Bulls over Magic in 5
Thunder over Spurs in 6
Heat over Celtics in 5
Mavs over Lakers in 4

Semi Finals:

Mavs over Bulls in 6
Heat over Thunder in 5


Finals:

Mavs over Heat in 6

[OSR stands with Israel]

2011-12 Season

1. Bulls 50-16
2. Spurs 50-16
3. Thunder 47-19
4. Heat 46-20
5. Pacers 42-24
6. Lakers 41-25
7. Grizzlies 41-25
8. Clippers 40-26
9. Hawks 40-26
10. Celtics 39-27
11. Nuggets 38-28
12. Magic 37-29
13. Mavs 36-30
14. Knicks 36-30
15. Jazz 36-30
16. Sixers 35-31


First Round:

Sixers over Bulls in 6
Spurs over Jazz in 4
Thunder over Knicks in 5
Heat over Mavs in 4
Pacers over Magic in 5
Lakers over Nuggets in 7
Celtics over Grizzlies in 6
Clippers over Hawks in 6

Second Round:

Clippers over Sixers in 6
Spurs over Celtics in 6
Thunder over Lakers in 5
Heat over Pacers in 6

Semi Finals:

Heat over Clippers in 5
Thunder over Spurs in 6

Finals:

Heat over Thunder in 5



Many of the matchups these years are remarkably similar to OTL