Sunday, March 8, 2009

IF I WERE COMMISH: I'd Abolish the NBA's Divisional Format


Last month, I complained that the Portland Trailblazers should be moved to the Pacific Division and Phoenix should switch to the newly named Midwest Division.

I'm still in that corner, but I'm joining the movement of people who believe that the NBA should just abolish the divisional format.

After all, is it really used for anything? In the NFL, division winners earn home field advantage for at least one game in the playoffs. And just like MLB and the NHL, there is a weighted schedule towards divisional opponents in the NFL. The NBA doesn't do that. They virtually play the same amount of games against conference opponents instead.

So why are there six divisions? So six teams can feel like they've done something important?

After all, we will pretty much only see conference standings at this time of year. Seriously count how many times they will show you a graphic of the division races to the times they show graphics of conference races. It won't be close.

So why not abolish the divisional format and just have two 15-team conferences? After all, that is what they really are.

If you think that is totally stupid (you can't say its confusing), then why not just go back to the two division system of pre-expansion? There was a little bit of divisional integrity since the division winners were the top two seeds in their conference's playoff bracket. Have a 7-team division and an 8-team division in each conference.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC: Boston, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington
CENTRAL: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee, Toronto

WESTERN CONFERENCE
MIDWEST: Dallas, Denver, Houston, Memphis, Minnesota, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio
PACIFIC: Golden State, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Utah

I like it.
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If you still like the current format because more teams get division championships, then why not just have 10 divisions of three teams?

EASTERN CONFERENCE
NORTHEAST: Boston, New Jersey, New York
MID ATLANTIC: Charlotte, Washington, Philadelphia
SOUTHEAST: Atlanta, Miami, Orlando
GREAT LAKES: Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto
MIDEAST: Chicago, Indiana, Milwaukee

WESTERN CONFERENCE
SOUTH: Memphis, New Orleans, Oklahoma City
TEXAS: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
MIDWEST: Denver, Minnesota, Utah
SOUTHWEST: LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Phoenix
PACIFIC: Golden State, Portland, Sacramento

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