Two quick thoughts as the Miami Heat and NBA prepare for the playoffs:
— 1. The play-in round stinks. It’s an awful idea that should be unceremoniously discontinued and put in an unmarked grave, like the Ford Edsel, New Coke and Harley-Davidson Perfume (all real, short-lived and unlamented).
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, TNT and ESPN love the play-in round. They call it an “exciting wrinkle.” I call it an easy revenue grab — six additional games that had not existed before. Meantime fans must wait nearly a week for the actual playoffs to start, while the top two seeds in each conference (including Miami) are penalized by not knowing who their first-round opponent will be.
