Comparing H.S.-College Post Season Play to Pro NBA Playoff Format

The NBA’s, NHL, and MLB’s best of 4 of 7 championship conference quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals and championship series are a lot difference then the NFL’s, High School, and colleges NCAA’s March Madness’s Big Dance one and done single elimination or win or go home are certainly different.

The pressure of the NFL, H.S. and NCAA tournaments are far greater then the NBA, NFL and MLB series. The surviving a poor game is not a problem in a best of 7 series compared to lose a NCAA or High School tournament game. Just look at the first 5 game blowouts in the NBA conference finals.

One of the biggest differences that in a 4 of 7 series it is how well coaches and players make the needed individual adjustments from game to game is the most important factor. The pressure of one and done is far greater in having the players and coaches to be right by playing well and making the right adjustments strategically then in a series for both teams until it gets to the final 7th game of a series with each team tied with 3 wins a piece. Also, when a team has 3 losses then the pressure is only on one team.

More chance of upsets in a win or go home game then there is a best of 7 series. Much more pressure on the higher seeded team in one and done tournaments.

Certainly in the single elimination tournaments the chances of surviving a bad night is much harder then having a bad game an losing in a series as there is always the next game until game 7 or when a team has 3 losses.

Coaching is far more important in the post season of both and the coaches’ teams with the best talent have to offset the pressure of not winning because if they win then many people will say well you should have won you had the best team and if you lose they want to know what happened to you.

In one and done elimination you get one chance in a best of 7 series you get 4 chances before you are done.

Usually when you get to win or go home stage the neutral fans are rooting for the underdog.

Interesting that high school and college athletics who have younger and less experienced and skilled players have to face the one and done situation and the highly paid, more experienced and skilled pros (except NFL) have the luxury of being able to play poorly and still have another chance until they get to 3 losses in a series.

Doesn’t seem fair the only collegiate or High school sport that gives a team a chance to lose one game and still play again with still a chance to win a championship is collegiate baseball and softball.

Can’t figure out the reasons why collegiate baseball and softball don’t just have a single elimination tournament like basketball, football, field hockey and soccer, etc?