On the assumption that any of this can happen at all...
All teams going to the playoffs need to have the same number of preparation games.
What about cutting off the existing season at 68 games. Then the top 24 or 20 or however many teams all play 4 games. The results of these 4 games are then added to the results after the 68 games and then the top 16 teams make a traditional playoff pool.
This gives all teams that are on the bubble a chance to play in and all teams get the same number of prep games.
The one flaw I see is how do they determine who plays each other? Perhaps you split the standings in half and each team plays 2 games against the top teams and 2 teams from the bottom group. This eliminates the Detroits and San Jose type teams from having to come back. Gives everyone the same number of preparation games and sets up for a "traditional" playoff. Perhaps the first round is five games to reduce the overall time required?
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