BuzzerBeater Forums

Why do you use point differentials as the tie breaker? That has always seemed pretty weird to me.

Why not follow the NBA and use something like head to head? Or record within the conference?

(I seem to recall that one of those risks was a last-day mutual TiE deal, but for some reason I can't quite remember how that one turned out...)

Me neither.


Last edited by stogey23 at 1/20/2010 3:58:26 PM

Hrmm. From my vantage point this issue is a non issue. There is a reason they punt games to him and not you. If you want more people to punt more games, assemble a better roster. I expected to beat you at my place with the injury you had at the time. Against teams like KDB, Ice and the Bulls thats not the case, if I win using equal enthusiasm I think I got lucky.

This is the most intense season I have seen. Wins and points are going to matter huge on where you finish. So if you're looking for some kind of punishment, it's going to happen. I can't see you taking 1st from Ice unless he ends up with a couple injuries or something. I also can't see you losing second. You're still in the cup. I just don't see what the issue is honestly.

So yes, I think the current system appropriately discourages managers from throwing away 5% of their season unnecessarily.

Others have responded already, but it makes very little sense to risk future games by killing your GS and not optimizing training for the hope that PD (some of which is out of your hands anyways) saves you from demoting.

If I know I'm going to lose a game PD is not enough to justify the disadvantage.

If NTH would have thrown some un-winnable games he would have been in better GS and trained better putting his team in good position to pick off just one extra game.

In fact your example further proves my point. Giants threw no games and CT'd their last game of the season instead of throwing it and saving up the enthusiasm. Myopic threw 2 games, yet won the PD battle.

It's not like PL games where you can focus mostly on the fun stuff like lineups and tactical choices. If you don't, first and foremost, consider enthusiasm, game shape and training while picking your battles in league/cup games you will underperform, no doubt.

Last edited by brian at 1/20/2010 5:10:32 PM

I still disagree that the point differential system is unfair as is. I don't see another way to determine who wins record ties since series are always at home for each team. The same logic applies. The Bulls have a way of aggravating alot of people and people seem to think they have a better shot of beating him either home or away, hence less punting and a lower point differential.

The cookie jar comment was what I thought a good natured jab. Sorry you thought it was so ridiculous. For the record I didn't know many teams used a normal enthusiasm on an away game they expected to lose. I wasn't trying to piss on you, just use an example I have firsthand knowledge of. Sorry, that seems to have offended you. I'll be sure to file a hurt feeling report with the nearest GM I can find.

Teams all are playing the same game with the same rules. I don't see how it's unfair when thats the case.

I don't see how it's unfair when thats the case.

I wouldn't say it's unfair, but maybe there's better alternatives. Some teams are on the lucky side of a thrown game while some others aren't. Maybe using head-to-head would be a better option.

Still won't change the fact that to succeed in the long run you need to focus more on things like enthus/GS/training, instead of actual in-game lineups and tactics.

Everything's pretty much already been said, but I just wanted to say I completely agree that head-to-head should be the first tiebreaker. It makes far more sense than overall PD. I mean what kind of logic is "Is Team A better than Team B? Well, forget that they beat them twice, he lost by 75 to Team C a while back, so they're clearly not better."

Well your correct about no one being nice and throwing games but I do know of a couple times where people didn't necessarily take it easy out of spite with the guy.

The system isn't perfect as far as home court but its not easy to make changes to improve it. If they correct the point differential issue whats the next gripe? Who plays tough teams from the other conference on the road vs at home? What if a star player for a team is injured for the head to head game but has such a great impact on the rest of the games that one team clearly had a better season?

I can see the issue with it but I come back to the fact that everyone is playing with the same rules.

As for the game being about lineups and tactics, in close games I think you still see that have quite a bit of importance.