The basketball in the NBA is obviously of an exponential quality over the NCAA, but I'm sorry - the opening round of the NBA Playoffs will never be as great as the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even if you don't have a team in the NCAA Tournament to cheer for, at least in the first weekend you can enjoy the chaos. I mean, I guess Minnesota and Utah winning their game 1s was pretty chaotic, but otherwise it's been rather "ugh". I mean, the basketball has been great out of the great teams, but they're also teams I really don't care for.
The game is better quality in every way, but the NCAA format is so exciting those first four days. You could never have a format like that in pro basketball because there are no real underdogs and if you did include underdogs it diminishes an 82 game season. They are trying I guess with this play-in structure but it’s still not the same.
Once it comes sweet 16 time, unless ISU or some massive underdog is still around I completely lose interest in NCAA tourney though…where in the NBA if there are two juggernaut teams with all time greats in the finals it becomes must see TV.
What I reeeeeeeeally don’t get is people who are into non-NCAA tourney basketball that doesn’t involve their team. Give me any NBA game over that. The insane inconsistency with shooting and officiating drives me nuts if I don’t have a fan interest.
The closest thing to “upsets” in NBA basketball is when some dynasty or hopeful dynasty gets knocked off…or a rare time when a team comes back from down 3-1 to win a series.
I’m not a hockey fan but it seems the NHL and NBA have best structure for actually crowning best team in their sport with the only wiggle room being a handful of years there were major officiating or disciplinary mistakes. (The year the Spurs were rewarded for overly violent play starting a brawl comes to mind)