After the 30th team arrives...

[Guest alfdogg]

Every other sport (baseball, football, hockey) has moved to six divisions once they got 30 teams.

[Guest Choken One]

They pretty much said they would in 2004.

 

Meaning that A 15 team east and a 15 team west.

 

Means 5 from each Divison.

 

Means 6 Divison winners...Means two Wild cards. That should be exicting in the east with the parity and all.

 

I really think it should only be 28 teams. What has Clippers done to keep them? And same for Golden State.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Yeah, I know California is a huge state and all. But do they really need 4 teams? I would say something about the Texas teams, but 2/3 of them are serious contenders.

 

30 teams?! Holy Jebus, the league is just getting too damn big...I stopped watching years ago really.

[Guest treble charged]

Where are they going to put these new teams? I've heard maybe that Charlotte would get another franchise if they built a new arena, but where else?

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

29 teams currently so the new team in Charlotte will make 30.

 

There are no Wildcards in the NBA either, so honestly the 2 Conferences with 3 divisions each is really rather superficial considering the top 8 teams in each Conference make it anyway..Adding more divisions will just make it harder to figure out the playoff standings..

[Guest Vern Gagne]

The NBA is in no condition to add a 30th team if any thing they need to contract 2 to 3 teams.

[Guest Choken One]

Which i why I point straight at Golden State for contraction. L.A Clippers oughta move to Charlotte.

 

Other possible contracted team: Portland. Seriously, It isn't a big city or anything. Yes I know they make the playoffs each year...so what...Fuck Em.

[Guest converge241]

"The NBA is in no condition to add a 30th team if any thing they need to contract 2 to 3 teams. "

 

yes i agree 100%

 

the NBA and NHL should not be expanding because their fanbase is dwindling.. that is not a positive equation..both sports could stand to get rid of maybe 4 teams each

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Why doesn't St.Louis have a team. They draw for the other 3 sports, it's one of the biggest sports friendly cities in the country.

[Guest converge241]

what happened to their team? is that the atlanta franchise?

[Guest razazteca]

why did the Hornets leave Charlotte?

 

Does LA really need 2 teams?

[Guest converge241]

someone probably has more knowledge, but the fans hated the owner so they wouldnt go to the games, but the league feels that there is still a big support for basketball in that area, so they let them move to New Orleans (whose team moved to Utah, you know with all that Jazz out there and all) and Stern will have an expansion team, the league gets $ for relocation AND expansion so theoretically "everyone" is happy

[Guest alkeiper]

I agree with expansion, simply because having a 30th team will create a much easier schedule to manage. I see no reason to change divisional alignment. Just keep two divisions for each conference.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

The Hornets moved to New Orleans cause Charlotte wouldn't approve of building them a new arena. Quite funny, cause Charlotte is building a new arena now..It reminded me of the Cleveland Browns situation..

 

Basketball is big in NC, but the Hornets attendence dropped off a cliff last year even though they had a pretty solid team (I watched several Hornets games being in Charleston SC). I'll always remeber the commercial with Baron Davis where he's practicing and Ric Flair comes out and tells him he should go WHOOOO! when he dunks..

[Guest Leena]

I think it would be better if they stuck with 4 divisions. Why add the chance of one team with a crappy record winning a division? It's not like the NFL where they have to play twice a year... each team plays everyone in their conference either 3-4 times.

 

In effect, 6 divisions could make the season more valuable for some shitty teams... and devalue the playoffs. I say that's rather shitty.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

Thirty is a nice even number, however, it's probably not worth it to drag down the league and create three divisional champs, one of whom might be average. 28 would be an ideal number of NBA teams for me, though. Kings and Warriors can merge, as can Heat and Magic. There you have it, one less team on either coast.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

I agree with expansion, simply because having a 30th team will create a much easier schedule to manage. I see no reason to change divisional alignment. Just keep two divisions for each conference.

Having an easier time with Scheduling doesn't really seem like a good reason to agree with expansion. It's one thing to think the current product, but if you're starting to think like alot of people that the NBA has more important issues to address than scheduling.

[Guest DrTom]

In effect, 6 divisions could make the season more valuable for some shitty teams... and devalue the playoffs. I say that's rather shitty.

I agree, but it's already shitty. More than half the teams in the league make the playoffs as it stands now. What is the reward for playing well during the regular season?

 

I don't think they need a thirtieth team, but I'm sure they'll add it in the name of the Almighty Dollar. The NBA hasn't been about quality basketball for the last 18 years or so, so I really don't think it's going to further dilute a product that would make a homeopath proud. Maybe I'd gain some measure of respect for the league if they went down an eight-team playoff system, or even twelve. But when 55% of the teams make the playoffs, they might as well just flip coins and skip the regular season entirely.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

NHL is using 16 out of 30, which also creates the same dilemma. They could whittle it down to 14 (at least above half the league for crying out loud) and have the top four non-divisional champs compete for a wild card against the #1 seed.

[Guest The Hollywood Fashion Plate]

MarvinisaLunatic Posted on Nov 8 2002, 08:49 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Hornets moved to New Orleans cause Charlotte wouldn't approve of building them a new arena. Quite funny, cause Charlotte is building a new arena now..It reminded me of the Cleveland Browns situation..

 

Basketball is big in NC, but the Hornets attendence dropped off a cliff last year even though they had a pretty solid team (I watched several Hornets games being in Charleston SC). I'll always remeber the commercial with Baron Davis where he's practicing and Ric Flair comes out and tells him he should go WHOOOO! when he dunks..  

 

They made that commercial? For real? I MUST find that commercial! I will laugh my ass off when I see that. Does anybody have any clue where I can find it?

 

*Davis dunks*

Baron: "WOOO!"

*chops opposing team, Flair Flops at halfcourt*

[Guest Leena]

I don't think they need a thirtieth team, but I'm sure they'll add it in the name of the Almighty Dollar. The NBA hasn't been about quality basketball for the last 18 years or so, so I really don't think it's going to further dilute a product that would make a homeopath proud. Maybe I'd gain some measure of respect for the league if they went down an eight-team playoff system, or even twelve. But when 55% of the teams make the playoffs, they might as well just flip coins and skip the regular season entirely.

I agree that 16 teams is far too much for the playoffs. I've always been for the NBA & NHL lessening the playoffs to the top 6 in each conference... it gives something for finishing on the top of your division.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Seattle

Portland

Sacramento

Golden St.

Phoenix

 

Clippers

Lakers

Utah

Denver

Memphis

 

Dallas

San Antonio

Houston

New Orleans

Minnesota

 

Milwaukee

Chicago

Indiana

Detroit

Toronto

 

Cleveland

Boston

New York

New Jersey

Philadelphia

 

Washington

Charlotte

Atlanta

Orlando

Miami

 

Not perfect. But it was off the top of my head. Didn't wanna put the Lakers and Clippers in seperate divisions. Since Memphis used to be in Vancouver I figured I'd put them in with the Lakers, Clippers, Utah, and Denver.

[Guest Choken One]

So it would be...

 

South East

Central East

North East

 

Western

 

South West

Pacific Coast

Midwest (although LA fails to me to be MIDWEST).

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

Didn't mean to bump the old thread ... just wanted to tell you what the likeliest scenario for 6 5-team divisions are:

 

Northeast: Toronto, Boston, Philly, New York, and New Jersey

Southeast: Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami

Central: Indiana, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee

Southwest: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans, and Memphis

Northwest: Portland, Utah, Minnesota, Denver, and Seattle

Pacific: The Clippers, the Lakers, Scramento, Golden State, and Phoenix

 

There're bad parts of this particular realignment: Minnesota's nowhere near Seattle and would be better suited to play in the Central, but it's easier on scheduling if the T'Wolves jump to the Northwest, and they've got rivalries from the old Midwest division against those teams. If the Grizzlies had stayed in Vancouver, this'd be a lot easier.

 

However, the good far outweighs the bad. The math works out to a nicely unbalanced schedule: 8 games vs. division rivals and a home-and-home with everyone else. The logistics are outstanding. The playoffs become easier to seed: top two in each division go, plus two wild cards.

 

Vern, you probably don't want to break up the Cali teams, and especially not the Kings-Lakers series, which is quickly becoming the Knicks-Heat of this decade.

 

As for having 16 teams in the playoffs: eh. Not much you can do about it, and people obviously go to and watch first-round games, so whatever. Does it cheapen the playoffs? Not usually - the teams that are supposed to get to the Finals usually do. 13 of the last 20 teams to make the finals have been #1 seeds, and only two teams (the 1994-5 Rockets and strike-shortened 1997-8 Knicks) have been seeded 5th or lower. So let the opening rounds give some excitement to some cities and franchises that need it - the teams that should play for the championship will play for it anyway.

 

(Insert all Lakers-Kings officiating gripes HERE)

 

LUNATIC

- Just gimme the light and pass the 'dro.

[Guest starvenger]

Didn't mean to bump the old thread ... just wanted to tell you what the likeliest scenario for 6 5-team divisions are:

 

Northeast: Toronto, Boston, Philly, New York, and New Jersey

Southeast: Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami

Central: Indiana, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee

Southwest: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans, and Memphis

Northwest: Portland, Utah, Minnesota, Denver, and Seattle

Pacific: The Clippers, the Lakers, Scramento, Golden State, and Phoenix

 

There're bad parts of this particular realignment: Minnesota's nowhere near Seattle and would be better suited to play in the Central, but it's easier on scheduling if the T'Wolves jump to the Northwest, and they've got rivalries from the old Midwest division against those teams. If the Grizzlies had stayed in Vancouver, this'd be a lot easier.

 

However, the good far outweighs the bad. The math works out to a nicely unbalanced schedule: 8 games vs. division rivals and a home-and-home with everyone else. The logistics are outstanding. The playoffs become easier to seed: top two in each division go, plus two wild cards.

 

Vern, you probably don't want to break up the Cali teams, and especially not the Kings-Lakers series, which is quickly becoming the Knicks-Heat of this decade.

 

As for having 16 teams in the playoffs: eh. Not much you can do about it, and people obviously go to and watch first-round games, so whatever. Does it cheapen the playoffs? Not usually - the teams that are supposed to get to the Finals usually do. 13 of the last 20 teams to make the finals have been #1 seeds, and only two teams (the 1994-5 Rockets and strike-shortened 1997-8 Knicks) have been seeded 5th or lower. So let the opening rounds give some excitement to some cities and franchises that need it - the teams that should play for the championship will play for it anyway.

 

(Insert all Lakers-Kings officiating gripes HERE)

 

LUNATIC

- Just gimme the light and pass the 'dro.

Somehow I can't see them renaming a division Southwest, if only because it's the same name as a certain low cost airline. They'd probably rename it South Central...

 

I also think that the NHL and NBA should adopt the NFL's (old) playoff format: 6 division winners, 6 wild cards, with the 4 best division winners getting byes. Can't see that happening though, since 4 less teams would be able to milk their fans for playoff tickets...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Didn't mean to bump the old thread ... just wanted to tell you what the likeliest scenario for 6 5-team divisions are:

 

Northeast: Toronto, Boston, Philly, New York, and New Jersey

Southeast: Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami

Central: Indiana, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee

Southwest: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, New Orleans, and Memphis

Northwest: Portland, Utah, Minnesota, Denver, and Seattle

Pacific: The Clippers, the Lakers, Scramento, Golden State, and Phoenix

 

There're bad parts of this particular realignment: Minnesota's nowhere near Seattle and would be better suited to play in the Central, but it's easier on scheduling if the T'Wolves jump to the Northwest, and they've got rivalries from the old Midwest division against those teams. If the Grizzlies had stayed in Vancouver, this'd be a lot easier.

 

However, the good far outweighs the bad. The math works out to a nicely unbalanced schedule: 8 games vs. division rivals and a home-and-home with everyone else. The logistics are outstanding. The playoffs become easier to seed: top two in each division go, plus two wild cards.

 

Vern, you probably don't want to break up the Cali teams, and especially not the Kings-Lakers series, which is quickly becoming the Knicks-Heat of this decade.

 

As for having 16 teams in the playoffs: eh. Not much you can do about it, and people obviously go to and watch first-round games, so whatever. Does it cheapen the playoffs? Not usually - the teams that are supposed to get to the Finals usually do. 13 of the last 20 teams to make the finals have been #1 seeds, and only two teams (the 1994-5 Rockets and strike-shortened 1997-8 Knicks) have been seeded 5th or lower. So let the opening rounds give some excitement to some cities and franchises that need it - the teams that should play for the championship will play for it anyway.

 

(Insert all Lakers-Kings officiating gripes HERE)

 

LUNATIC

- Just gimme the light and pass the 'dro.

I was just going to post that exact realignment you put up. But you beat me to it. Minnesota's doesn't have anywhere to go, so they can be like the Wild and be in the Northwest Division.