PhilRippa
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|  #1 Posted on 31.10.02 1106.53
Reposted on: 31.10.09 1112.11 | Stern commented that if the NBA expands to 30 teams (going back to Charlotte – don’t get me started there) that he wants to radically realign – moving to 6 divisions. Click Here
I have zero problem with realignment. Most of the time, the divisions/conferences are so goofy it makes your head spin. I pity the poor kid who learned geography from the National Football League.
So I just decided to jot things down and see if I could figure out a possible alignment. This is using 6 divisions and assuming that Charlotte is the team.
--------------------------------
Larry Bird Conference
East
Boston Celtics
New Jersey Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
Central
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavilers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
South
Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte Sterns
Miami Heat
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards
Magic Johnson Conference
Texas
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzles
New Orleans Hornets
San Antonio Spurs
California
Golden State Warriors
L.A. Clippers
L.A. Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
Others
Denver Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
Seattle Sonics
Utah Jazz
------------
Thoughts
- I hated moving Washington from the East but Toronto fits better in the “East” than the Wizards. Plus, the precedent has been set for Washington to be in the “South” (see the NHL). Its not like they won’t play teams like the Knicks the same amount anyway.
- Minnesota gets screwed again. The T-Wolves have been lobbying to move into the current Eastern Conference. That ain’t going to happen here. I chose them to go to the “Other” division over Milwaukee based on Milwaukee being more centrally located to all the other teams in that division.
- I’m think that if for some reason the expansion team goes to St. Louis are back into Canada – then the better solution might be 8 divisions. Because here – I really only see one awkward team.
- I would assume that the playoffs would stay 8 teams from each conference. Division winners get the Top 3 seeds. Next 6 based on record. Playoffs still take 3 months to play.
Enough rambling from me - considering I really hate the NBA right now.
Phil | Promote this thread! |             | pieman
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| #2 Posted on 31.10.02 1147.48
Reposted on: 31.10.09 1147.58 | Obviously, you can't make it work perfectly, but I am wondering if there is some way to get Washington out of the South by moving Toronto out of the East and then ..... ah, geez, I can't do this. Your others category kind mucks up the whole works, too. I don't think 6 divisions can be logically done by geography, but I think your effort is pretty damn admirable.
And I do like your conference names. That would be sweet. | Grimis
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| #3 Posted on 31.10.02 1352.19
Reposted on: 31.10.09 1353.01 | Yes you can get Toronto out of the East; see here:
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
Boston Celtics
New Jersey Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Wizards
Central
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavilers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Toronto Raptors
Southeast
Atlanta Hawks
Charlotte
New Orleans Hornets
Miami Heat
Orlando Magic
Western Conference
Northern
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
Portland Trail Blazers
Seattle Sonics
Utah Jazz
Midwest
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzles
San Antonio Spurs
Pacific
Golden State Warriors
L.A. Clippers
L.A. Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
| Swordsman Yen
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| #4 Posted on 1.11.02 0205.10
Reposted on: 1.11.09 0207.02 | Yen's Proposed Realignment
RUSSELL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
----------------
New York
Philadelphia
Boston
Miami
Charlotte
Central Division
----------------
Chicago
Milwaukee
Detroit
Minnesota
Indiana
Western Division
----------------
Houston
LA Clippers
Golden State
Utah
Seattle
CHAMBERLAIN CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
----------------
Atlanta
New Jersey
Orlando
Toronto
Washington
Central Division
----------------
Memphis
New Orleans
San Antonio
Dallas
Cleveland
Western Division
----------------
LA Lakers
Sacramento
Portland
Phoenix
Denver
Each team plays everybody in their division 6 times, everybody in the same division but opposite conference 4 times, and everybody else twice, for a total of 84 games. | JayJayDean
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| #5 Posted on 1.11.02 1527.15
Reposted on: 1.11.09 1529.11 | | You have to swap Seattle and Denver, I'd think. The Sonics and the Blazers would never go for any realignment that (1) takes the rivalry away from being 4 times a year and (2) increases travel by taking away their closest geographical rival. | Quezzy
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| #6 Posted on 2.11.02 1057.42
Reposted on: 2.11.09 1059.01 | | Yeah i would swap Portland with the Clippers, I can see the logic behind having an LA team in each conference (like Mets and Yankees in baseball) but i'd much rather see the Lakers and Clippers going at it 4 times a year. I think now that the Clippers are getting better it could become a good rivalry. | drjayphd
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| #7 Posted on 2.11.02 2105.00
Reposted on: 2.11.09 2105.31 |
Originally posted by Quezzy
Yeah i would swap Portland with the Clippers, I can see the logic behind having an LA team in each conference (like Mets and Yankees in baseball) but i'd much rather see the Lakers and Clippers going at it 4 times a year. I think now that the Clippers are getting better it could become a good rivalry.
Yeah, but that means I'd have to watch the Lakers four times a year to see them play. Gotta take the bad with the good, I suppose. | ekedolphin
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| #8 Posted on 4.11.02 0347.03
Reposted on: 4.11.09 0349.08 | Minnesota and Memphis are lobbying to join the Eastern Conference ostensibly because that's where they belong geographically, but let's not fool ourselves, OK? The Timberwolves figure if they get into the East, they'll destroy everybody there and get to the NBA Finals, while the Grizzlies figure they'll make the playoffs at the very least.
It's because of the perception (which I still feel is unfair) that the East is waaaaaay inferior to the West. Well, whatever, but at least the Eastern Conference doesn't have a team (other than Cleveland) that's been buried at the bottom of a division for years upon years. (Warriors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, I'm looking at you.)
And besides... the Pacers beat the Timberwolves a couple nights ago, so HA!
(edited by ekedolphin on 11.11.02 0335) | Zeruel
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| #9 Posted on 10.11.02 0621.36
Reposted on: 10.11.09 0623.48 |
Originally posted by ekedolphin
Minnesota and Memphis are lobbying to join the Eastern Conference ostensibly because that's where they belong geographically, but let's not fool ourselves, OK? The Timberwolves figure if they get into the East, they'll destroy everybody there and get to the NBA Finals, while the Grizzlies figure they'll make the playoffs at the very least.
It's because of the perception (which I still feel is unfair) that the East is waaaaaay inferior to the East. Well, whatever, but at least the Eastern Conference doesn't have a team (other than Cleveland) that's been buried at the bottom of a division for years upon years. (Warriors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, I'm looking at you.)
And besides... the Pacers beat the Timberwolves a couple nights ago, so HA!
do you mean that the East is inferior to the WEST?
probably 
I think that the Nets are the only threat in the East, and my bullets are finally starting to win, and may finally earn the right to be called the Wizards.
side-note:
when the bullets changed their name, the consensus was that they will still suck and no matter what their name is, they will still play like the sucky bullets. What was the unoffical mark that they've made it to become the Wizards?
finishing above .537 (44-38), their record as their last year as the bullets 96-97.
what have they done since?
96-97 .537 44-18 (last bullet year, 4th in Atlantic out of 7 teams, 8th in east out of 15 teams, 13th overall out of 29 teams)
97-98 .512 42-40 (first Wizards year, 4th in Atlantic, 9th in East, 16th overall)
98-99 .360 18-32 (6th in Atlantic, besting last place nets, 13th in east, 24th overall)
99-00 .354 29-53 (last in Atlantic, 13th in east, 24th overall)
00-01 .232 19-63 (last in Atlantic, 14th in east, 27th overall)
01-02 .451 37-45 (5th in Atlantic, 10th in east, 19th overall)
Today .571 4-3 (5th in Atlantic, 8th in east, tie for 12th overall w/Minnesota)
granted, it's only 7 games into the season of 82, but they're on pace to go .598 49-33, truly earning the name Wizards...but I voted for Dragons, since the MCI Center is in Chinatown. Imangine the Chinese dragon cerimony before every game, that would have been cool! Firecrackers going off, the Dragon doing it's dance...
oh well, the DC officals thought it was to "KKK-ish"
no, that's the University of Alabama Dragons, that's KKK
| drjayphd
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| #10 Posted on 11.11.02 0018.31
Reposted on: 11.11.09 0026.32 |
Originally posted by rikidozan
I think that the Nets are the only threat in the East, and my bullets are finally starting to win, and may finally earn the right to be called the Wizards.
What about the Hornets? I don't get it either, but they allegedly could win it all (at least in the conference), from what I've heard. They may not have one ginormous superstar (Baron Davis hasn't hit "Ginormous" stature yet), but they've got a bunch of good-to-great players. And their bench is finally NBA-caliber, rather than NBDL. 
Originally posted by rikidozan
side-note:
when the bullets changed their name, the consensus was that they will still suck and no matter what their name is, they will still play like the sucky bullets.
Coulda been worse. At least they aren't the Wiz. (ducks) | Zeruel
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| #11 Posted on 11.11.02 0051.03
Reposted on: 11.11.09 0051.29 | there's a local music store around here called Nothing Beats The Wiz. I always get a chuckle out of that.
i'm a home town team lover, but boy do i hate the bullets. it's because they would always find a way to blow a good lead, or just get flat out out-played. | Big Bad
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| #12 Posted on 15.11.02 1532.03
Reposted on: 15.11.09 1536.02 | | Here's my problem with teams like Minnesota wanting to move East: the NBA's balance of power won't stay that way forever. The West may be the better conference now, but who knows what might happen in a few years? | squiz
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| #13 Posted on 17.11.02 0114.27
Reposted on: 17.11.09 0114.44 | Rikidozan, would having a .571 winning percentage through 7 games work out to a 47 win season over 82 games, not 49? Oh well, minor nitpicking. Anyway, they have gone 2-1 in the past few games, leading to a 6-4 record which works out ot be your 49 wins. So here's to ya.
Back to more on topic...I much prefer Swordsman Yen's realignment, in that it is more like baseball. I don't feel the need to group everyone geographically, so it's alwas East vs. West in the finals. We had Anaheim vs. Giants in the World Series, and my fellow East coast fans didn't mind (casual viewers did, but screw them). However, why 6 divisions? Why not 8, ala football? 16 playoff teams, 8 divisions, top 2 teams in each division make the playoffs. No more 6 from the Pacific and 2 from the Midwest crap. This would bring back division rivalry, which in turn will bring even more interest to the game. As a Boston fan growing up in the 80's, I remember the days of the Celtics having 2 major rivals: Philadelphia and the Lakers. Oh, and no one liked the Knicks, either. Now, the Celtics play a bunch of teams with no real rivalries or impetus to win *this* game. As long as they win 45-50 games so they can make the playoffs, it no longer matters against who. I know that the current setup was in effect back in the 80's, and it was the giant M.L Carr-era swoon that knocked Boston off the radar. But isn't it better for all teams to have strong divisional rivalries? I mean, do the Bucks or Minnesota have any rivals?
Anyway, just a thought. | TheCow
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| #14 Posted on 17.11.02 1513.27
Reposted on: 17.11.09 1513.54 | The biggest problem with 8 divisions?
2 divisions would only have 3 teams. Remember, adding one team puts it up to 30 teams, not 32 - so if the top 2 teams make the playoffs, that third team either A) must severely suck or B) be victim to 2 really good teams.
You know, you would think that Milwaukee and Minnesota can develop some kind of geographical rivalry... | | ALL ORIGINAL POSTS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE |
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