Assuming the Mavs/Heat end up in the Finals, how would you feel if they held a "3rd" place 7-game series between WCF runner-up and ECF runner-up?

It would be weird. I think 3rd place games work well for 1 game events (like the World Cup, or maybe if there was one in the NFL), but they don't work out as well for series (like the NBA). People (especially outside of the involved markets) would quickly lose interest as the series dragged on to 6 or 7 games.

Then make it a 5 game series that starts a day before the NBA finals.

The idea is more revenue for the league and more tickets/concessions for the hosting teams/cities.

Would anyone watch that? I know I wouldn't.

Not interested. There's not even acknowledgement of the Finals loser right now. Nobody would see any value in finishing 3rd over 4th.

This is a non-starter.

The NCAA Tournament used to have a third-place game...they did away with it after the 1981 Final Four and there hasn't been much clamoring for its return.

I can't imagine any NBA team wanting to play after they've been eliminated, especially if it was a tough 7-gamer. 0% chance this happens.

I'd probably watch, but as others have said I don't think it would happen.

How about if the NBA held a bunch of games scattered throughout the U.S., matching up divisional winners, runner-ups, and mediocre teams?

We could have the league minimize revenue for the clubs by having only a single game, played a distance from each clubs home, have the team lose money going to the game, and have the bowl committee chairmen pull in half-million $s.

We could match up the Lakers and Boston in a game to be played in Houston - Shell Oil Bowl.

Dallas vs. Miami played in New Orleans.

OKC vs. Indiana played in L.A.

Denver vs. New Orleans played in NYC.

Repeat so that 18 or 20 teams make it to their "Mega-Bowl", as long as the bowl committee makes money.

We could have a stipulation that teams had to win 41 games to get to a bowl game (or 40 if there aren't enough bowl eligible teams).
In order to aid teams in getting to this magic number, teams will replace 27 of their NBA games with teams of their choosing, including choosing teams from the NBDL, CBA, European leagues, and Eskimo Basketball league.

Winners will receive a trophy and bragging rights that they won their bowl game, losers will receive a handsome participation ribbon and bragging rights that they were runner ups in their bowl game.

People would probably watch initially because of the novelty, but players will have mailed it in... therefore, the novelty would wear off after 1 year. Nobody cares about the runner-up team let alone a 3rd place team.

Just imagine a Wednesday game in March between the Wizards and Raptors. This series would probably be worse than that.

And all the lottery teams should get green "participant" ribbons.

Imagine if your team won; would you buy the hat that said '3rd place 2011'? As a Spurs fan I know I wouldn't. A Mavs fan might.

When I was growing up anytime my soccer team was in the 3/4 game instead o the championship we would always goof around. Play people that never played, in positions people never played. We could care less if we got third or forth