I blame my aggressively-caching browser for not seeing KnickerBlogger's update on the first round question (which I touched on last night).
Sunday's two games underscores the point between the first and second round games. The early game, a first rounder between the Heat and Hornets, meant little to me. It wasn't because it wasn't exciting, because tempers were flaring all over the court. One reason was that I couldn't imagine either of these teams beating Indy in 7 games, and then the winner of Detroit/NJ on the road. The other was that it game 6 of the series. The Hornets were fighting for their lives, but Miami wasn't. The other tournaments I mentioned above are all single elimination. Each game is important for both teams, not just the one with their backs against the wall. Tthe longer series makes each individual game less important as well.
The second round matchup between the Lakers & Spurs was another story. Since both of these teams have won the last 5 titles, I felt that the winner could possibly go all the way. The Lakers were the early season favorites, with their new additions of Payton & Malone. It was a GREAT game to watch. Even though it was only one game, it was the first of the series, and an upset on the Spurs floor would have tilted the series in the Lakers favor. That the winner of this series still has to face the winner of Minnesota/Sacramento to just reach the Finals is an awesome thought.
To conclude, really low seeds (7th & 8th) have virtually no chance of getting far in the playoffs. You can't eliminate the first round altogether, because as pointed out by Kevin, 5th & 6th seeds do have a (very slim) chance of making a magical run. I can't think of a playoff format that would make the first round more exciting without going to single elimination, or even a quick best of 3. The NBA will never allow such a hit on their wallets, even if it would make the game more exciting for their fans.
Yes, it would nice to have the first round more 'exciting'....but you can't
have it both ways. If you want a second round matchup like the Lakers/Spurs and
Minnesota/Sacremento, you cannot also have a best of 3 or single-elimination 1st
round. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to set the VCR for Hornets/Heat game 12.