Two incompatible goals
A postseason can be designed to find the best team or to create the most gripping fortnight of sport. These goals overlap, but they are not the same, and they point to different formats. Series length is the clearest lever: more games reduce the influence of one bad night, which is exactly what makes single-elimination thrilling. Anyone arguing for a format without saying which goal they prefer is having a different argument from the one they think they are having.
Where I land
I lean towards longer series in later rounds and shorter ones early, which is roughly what most leagues converge on for good reason. It concedes some early-round justice in exchange for jeopardy, then protects the outcome that history will remember. It is a compromise, and it is honest about being one.
The part nobody likes
Whatever the format, seeding rewards a regular season that a short calendar makes noisy. That is uncomfortable, because it means home advantage is partly a product of schedule luck. The alternative — ignoring the regular season — is worse. Acknowledging the flaw is more useful than pretending the bracket is a pure ranking.