Ironically, the NBA has the best system for crowning the best team, but the Warriors have made it so it would be better for the league if the NBA had any other playoff format for the next few seasons.
Single game elimination in a ladder format, where the top teams get the most bye rounds, would be ideal for revenues and TV ratings both in regular season and postseason, IMO, though it would obviously be bad for determining the best team. Bottom 8 teams would play a game against each other (1v8, 2v7, etc.), with higher seed given home court. Next 4 worst teams play the winners. Next 4 worst teams play those winners, etc., until you get to the 2 teams grouped at the top (30 total teams). The 4 winners from the prior round play each other, and then you go semifinals and finals.
Best 2 teams in this format would only need to win 2 games to win the title, but if they lose any single game, they are out. No need to go to 3-game series or 5-game series somewhere along the way, since having 6 rounds of byes for the top 2 teams should be a big enough advantage. Bottom 8 teams would need to win 8 straight games to win the title, but they at least have a not-impossible chance of playing out of their minds for 8 games and winning the title, so their fans would be engaged all season.
Revenue sharing from arena/ticket sales would need to penalize lower seeds and benefit higher seeds enough for it to still be worth it financially to be a higher seed.
This is totally outlandish, of course, and I would not really want it to happen. What we are getting instead is another season of the Warriors having already won the title before the first regular season game is played.
