Discussions about old-school NBA

I know there have been a lot of playoff format changes over the years, and I certainly won't hit them all here, so please let me know what else there's been (this might help - just saw it, wished I had seen it before doing most of this). Also please comment if something that's mentioned was an abnormality or one-off and not an actual format change (best ex: 1975 Finals were 1-2-2-1-1 due to bizarre scheduling issues and could have been 1-3-1-1).

• 1950: League had 3 divisions, top 4 in each got into playoffs (12 teams). Each division had 1v4 and 2v3 in best-of-3, then division winners of those played in best-of-3 Division Finals. Syracuse (EDF winner) got a bye to the Finals, while Lakers (CDF winner) and Packers (WDF winner) played best-of-3 in lone Semifinals series (1-1-1). Winner of semifinals faced the bye (Syracuse/EDF) in a best-of-7 Finals (2-2-1-1-1). Insane.

• 1951: Top 4 teams from each division (Eastern & Western) got into the playoffs (8 teams). Each had 1v4 and 2v3 in best-of-3, then Division Finals were best-of-5 (East was 1-1-1-1-1, West was 2-2-1). Finals were best-of-7 (2-2-1-1-1). ... 1952 same except both DF were 2-2-1.

• 1953: Same except EDF was again 1-1-1-1-1 (like '51) and Finals were 2-3-2.

• 1954: Oh boy. Top 3 teams from each division made playoffs (6 teams). Each division had a double round robin, with each team playing 1 home and 1 away game against each of the other two teams; this was to eliminate one team of the 3, not to choose one winner. After each played 4 games in the RR format, Division Finals were best-of-3, then Finals were best-of-7 (2-3-2).

• 1955: Top 3 teams from each division were in (6 teams). Top team got a bye, and each Division Semifinals were best-of-3 with that round's winner facing top divisional team in Division Finals in best-of-5 (2-2-1). Finals were best-of-7 (2-3-2).

• This general format lasted for a while, but without looking too closely at everything it does seem the Finals home/away pattern changed a couple times. In '56 it was 1-1-1-1-1-1-1, and in '57 it went back to 2-2-1-1-1 where it stayed for a while (last done in '52).

• 1961: Division Semifinals became best-of-5.

• 1967: Top 4 teams from each division were in (8 teams). Division semifinals were best-of-5 (1-1-1-1-1) but with weird 1v3 and 2v4 match-ups that remained until 1971, then Division Finals were best-of-7 (WDF 2-2-1-1-1, EDF, 1-1-1-1-1-1-1, which remained until 1970), and Finals were "traditional" best-of-7 (2-2-1-1-1).

• 1971: League now had 4 divisions with two in each Conference (so this is the advent of E/W 'conferences', as opposed to 'divisions'). Each conference's division winners faced other division's runner-up in Conference Semifinals (Atlantic 1st v Central 2nd, Midwest 1st v Pacific 2nd, etc.) in best-of-7 (was previously best-of-5). Conference Finals remained best-of-7 (2-2-1-1-1), and Finals remained the same.