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The NBA had a pre-playoff conference call on April 19, 2005, featuring David Stern (NBA Commissioner), Russ Granik (NBA Deputy Commissioner) and Stu Jackson (NBA Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations). Here's what was said:

Opening Statement: First I want to thank you all for joining us for this. We are extremely enthusiastic this year as we enter the playoffs. I think we've had one of the best seasons on the court that we've had in a long time. As most of you know we have set record attendance, because we added a 30th team, but even on an average basis we've had a record-setting season. We really feel very good about the way the game is looked this year. We think it's been a much more open game, we have a lot more teams running, and with a variety of different styles the teams are playing. We think we have a playoffs that's going to be less predictable than in past years. We have a lot new teams in the playoffs, we have a lot of teams that last year really struggled and turned their seasons around this year. So we are very much looking forward to getting started at the end of the week, including some terrific first round matchups. We know we still have an exciting contest between New Jersey and Cleveland for that final playoff spot in the East, which looks like it probably won't be decided until tomorrow night. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have on the season or the upcoming playoffs.

Q: Two questions: First, what's it like to have Chicago back, and the kind of story they've been writing all season, and the second, what do you think of Tyson Chandler's defensive exploits of late?

Jackson: In Chicago it's great to see a perennial winner in the league come back and have as big a turnaround as they've had. It's interesting that we've had five teams total that have had at least a 15 game improvement from last year -- not only Chicago, but Phoenix, Washington, Miami and Seattle. The last time something like that happened was back in the 1997-98 season. So, it's just another indicator, with Chicago leading the charge, that we've had a great year in terms of the play of a lot of our teams. The diverse styles that teams have employed, from the Phoenix's and Washington's to the Miami's and Chicago's, it's just been a great year.

With Tyson Chandler, certainly having the opportunity to play more minutes of late has contributed to his exploits as you described. He's a terrific young player, along with a lot of the team in Chicago that has blossomed from players that started out as young players, and it's pleasing to see the maturation process on the floor, developing into a playoff level team. And certainly Tyson has helped lead the charge.

Stern: And we share the hopes, prayers and concerns of all that Eddie Curry will be back with us healthy next season. And as it relates to the competitive side, it's going to be fun for more of the country to get a chance to see Chicago's rookie crop which is just starting to get recognition beyond Mr. Gordon's late period heroics.

Q: The situation in the Western Conference, where Phoenix has won 62 games, perhaps 63, is in the 1-8, 4-5 bracket, and of course Dallas, which will win 56 or 57 games is in that bracket as well, whereas you have Seattle with fewer wins on the opposite side because they won their division. Is this a glitch in the new arrangement?

Granik: I think we're very comfortable with the way the seeding system has worked out. I think earlier in the season when nobody could put together close to a .500 record there was some pause here and concern about what might happen if we had a team with the ninth best record that got into the playoffs, and had the number three seed. But I think when you're talking about teams of this caliber, with these kinds of records, there's always going to be something one way or another. Sometimes you have things like last year where the Lakers didn't play too well in the first half, then all of a sudden in the second half they turned it on but they were only the four or five seed, when everybody thought they were the best in the West. I think we're pretty comfortable and not exploring any changes right now.

Q: With all the scoring and wide open game, are you at all concerned if it will translate into the postseason?

Jackson: I think the play that we've seen during the regular season will continue. The reason why we've had open play is in part because of the style teams are employing, and the way the game is being officiated. We have continued to focus in on calling defensive three seconds, we've also focused in on the forearm foul, and interpreting the block charge play, having to get your torso in front of the offensive player before he goes into the act of shooting, have all served to incentivize offensive players to take the ball to the rim, which has created better shots. I don't see that being changed in the playoffs. That said, teams are more focused in the playoffs, have a day in between games to focus defensively, and our coaches are terrific in terms of their preparation, and we are going to have some games that are stifling. But overall, I don't see teams that have played wide open changing their style.

Granik: And as Stu said, the referees will call the game the same as they have during the regular season.

Q: Can you bring us up to date on the collective bargaining talks with the Union?

Stern: We had a meeting with the Union's representatives just earlier today and we'll be briefing our owners of the status on Friday. At the present time I plan to hold any comments until after the board of governors meeting.

Q: Didn't you say at the All-Star break that you would have it done by the end of the season?

Stern: It certainly has been our goal to get it done as soon as possible. Without putting a date on it, every day we don't have it in our view is not a good thing. But we will brief our owners on Thursday evening and Friday, and we'll keep you guys abreast after we do that.

Q: How do feel about the number of high level players out like LeBron, Kobe and Garnett, and some of the bigger markets also out?

Stern: I guess what I would say is that over the years, clearly we had some of our best runs with the Lakers and Boston in the 80s when New York and Chicago were not doing well, so it's really our view that everybody knows our players now. Whether through Sportscenter, regional sports, through one of the four networks that carry our games, whether they went to NBA.com for customized highlights or updates, it is clear that the Lakers are the team to love or hate, and a playoffs without the Lakers are going to draw lower than one with them. But aside from that, there are some interesting and exciting teams that are generating coverage, and a lot of young players and player combinations that people are talking about. So we anticipate a very lively playoffs with fans very much interested and engaged.

Granik: You're never going to get all your best players in the playoffs, but we're going to have Shaq, Dwyane Wade, Iverson, Nowitzki, Nash and Stoudemire, if we don't have LeBron it's going to be Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, you got Duncan, Carmelo, Ray Allen, I mean, I don't think you're going to find a situation where all those players along with a Kevin Garnett are going to make it every season. So we think we have a pretty good sample of star players that are going to be in the playoffs. Q: What determines how networks do in the playoffs? Are six and seven game series more important than who is on the floor?

Stern: There is no special chemistry. My guess is that a seventh game, that comes down to a winner take all usually gets a higher rating in any series than a first, second or third game. Storylines have developed whether they knew the players going in or they didn’t. People hook onto a particular player, a particular development or a particular rivalry. Sometimes that just begins to develop late in the season and the first round of the playoffs. There are so many of those that circle around the MVP, the new pairings, the battle for Texas, which is going to be really interesting. The revitalization of the Bulls, and Washington, the shift over of Shaq to the East. There is a lot to keep everybody interested and we have seen, at least focusing on the print media, a lot of talk on all of the above.

Q: Discuss the age limit question, in regards to the success seen among LeBron James and Kevin Garnett.

Stern: Welcome from China. It’s fun that our press conferences are commonplace in China. Right now we do have a minimum age, which is 18, and any changes if we did make a make a deal with our players this year would not apply to this year’s draft. If the age limit were to be raised, the people who were below would not be in the league until their age was reached. They would have an opportunity to play internationally, or in college, or in the minor leagues. We don’t see that as a controversy. It means that an 18 year old would be treated the same way as a 17 year old. And there are lines drawn, and we seek to draw the line, but we would not impose it, it must be collectively bargained with our union. If they and we agree to it than it can be implemented, with respect to the draft in 2006.

Q: There was an article saying that 19 may be the latest discussed age requirement. Would that work for the NBA?

Stern: I do not want to get into the specifics of our negotiations. Suffice it to say the subject of raising the minimum age has been put on the table, put there by us. And it’s one of a number of issues and there is going to be some give and take on all of them I suppose, but I do not want to get into the specifics of any one.

Q: Give us your impressions of Indiana and how they’ve hung tough and made the playoffs.

Stern: I think it’s terrific that they have come through the adversity. They are obviously playing teams tough even though they have been dramatically reduced in their personnel. I think that Rick Carlisle has established himself as capable of being both effective and flexible driving the team to winning status through I think some extraordinary lineup juggling, motivation and coaching. My hats off to him. I’m sure, he like us, is looking forward not just to the playoffs and how they do, but having Ron Artest return next season and having him play at the All Star level that he has previously played at. And we all want to watch to see how far Reggie can get in the playoffs, and I still don’t understand why he wants to retire, giving the way he’s been moving and scoring, and demonstrating that he is really a force to be reckoned with when he’s on the court.

Q: Give us your impressions of Robert Sarver and his enthusiasm.

Stern: I would say we could describe him as colorful, enthusiastic and getting used to being a team owner.

Q: You probably have to remind him that first years are not usually like this.

Stern: Yes, although we often remember that Les Alexander became the owner of Houston and they won the championship their first and second years. So, it’s happened, but I doubt very much that there will be another turnaround like the one the Suns have had this year. With the remodeling of America West, and a new All Star in Steve Nash, it’s been an all around great year for the Suns and I know they are chomping at the bit to get on with the playoffs.

Q. Is everybody happy with the best of seven format and is that here to stay?

Granik: I think everybody’s very happy with it. It is more likely than shorter series to deliver the team that deserves it into the next round and we certainly do not have any plans to change that.

Q: The Sonics were rejected for the second time by the legislature for some relief for their arena situation, what may that mean for the future of the ownership group?

Stern: The only understanding that I have that their ownership is committed to Seattle and committed to playing out their lease in Seattle. And also committed to finding a way to play in an arena that would bring Seattle up to the standards that now prevail in probably 26 or 27 of our NBA teams. I don’t know there is any one way to get that done, so I have not been following the specifics of what you are talking about, I know the subject has been floated. There are legislative sessions left, if not in this calendar, then in subsequent ones. So hopefully something will happen in a good way for the people of Seattle.

Q: You said an idea has been floated, what is that idea?

Stern: Did I say an idea has been floated? What I said was that I am not familiar precisely with what the proposal was before the legislature this time, but I know if there is a good idea someone will come back with it in subsequent legislative sessions.

Q: Discuss the timing issue at the end of last night’s San Antonio-Memphis game, and what instructions will be passed onto referees for the playoffs.

Jackson: On the issue last night in the game, the official, upon seeing the offensive player’s jump shot from the corner, after the shot went in determined that the clock had started early. And subsequent to that determined that the jump shot taken by Mike Miller of Memphis would have taken place in the time that was on the clock to start the play of 1.4 seconds. So even though the clock did have a malfunction and began early, the crew determined that the shot still would have taken place in that 1.4 seconds, even though when he actually took the shot the buzzer had sounded and the red light had gone on. The officials are instructed that if a game clock starts early or late and the play cannot be stopped, then he must make a determination.

Granik: Our view is that the referees handled this exactly the right way. It is unfortunate that you have a situation where the clock starts early, but it happened and the referee had to deal with and we think the crew made exactly the right decision. And at that point there is no point in looking at a replay because you already determined the clock started early, that was obvious, and so there is no point in looking at whether it did or didn’t get off before the red light. It’s like the old days then, he has to make his best judgment whether or not it would have worked. Clearly that shot was off in 1.4 seconds, so they made the right call. We do not have any better way to deal with it in the playoffs, other than to not have the clock to start early.

Q: You spoke in that past about Michael Jordan joining the league in an ownership level. Is anything coming, and would you like him more involved in the playoffs?

Stern: We have no special plans for Michael, it’s at his choice. The invitations are open. With respect to him buying a team, I would say that he is a smart businessman; I call him a value shopper, he’s not going to get involved in just any situation, unless it meets certain economic parameters. And he has not found that yet, although I believe his interest in the NBA continues unabated.

Q: You voiced concern about the length of the first round last year. How has that been remedied this year?

Stern: With respect to the first round of the playoffs, we have moved the first round from 18 days to 16 days, in cooperation with our network partners. They were very cooperative there, including perhaps giving up a game in certain cases that had to be moved off their networks. And if we don’t have arena problems, and of course we usually have one or two, we don’t anticipate that any team will sit more than two days in the first round. So we think we have addressed the issues that were raised in a relatively effective way.