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As a whole, the west is much stronger than the east.
WC teams are up 119-81 against EC teams.
Southwest Division: 8-0, 8 games left
1-0 vs MEM
2-0 vs DAL
3-0 vs HOU
2-0 vs NOH
Pacific Division: 2-2, 14 games left
1-0 vs LAL
0-2 vs LAC
1-0 vs SAC
0-0 vs PHO
0-0 vs GSW
Northwest Division: 4-4, 10 games left
1-1 vs OKC
1-1 vs POR
1-1 vs UTA
0-0 vs MIN
1-1 vs DEN
Central Division: 4-0, 6 games left
2-0 vs IND
0-0 vs CHI
2-0 vs MIL
0-0 vs CLE
0-0 vs DET
Atlantic Division: 5-1, 4 games left
0-1 vs NYK
1-0 vs BKN
2-0 vs BOS
2-0 vs TOR
0-0 vs PHI
Southeast Division: 3-1, 6 games left
0-1 vs MIA
0-0 vs ATL
1-0 vs ORL
1-0 vs CHA
1-0 vs WAS
It's readily apparent that East teams aren't worrying the Spurs soon, and the loaded Northwest Division (with all 5 teams jockeying for a playoff spot) has been their bugaboo. It's worth noting that the Spurs are 4-0 against NW teams at home and 0-4 away. The Pacific doesn't seem that threatening, though the Warriors playing very well this season mean that they seem to be more of a threat than the Lakers, even. The Spurs COULD sweep their division but I don't see it happening.
As a whole, the west is much stronger than the east.
WC teams are up 119-81 against EC teams.
Eastern Conf teams are nobody's worry except the Heat and Knicks... and that's (of course) the two we lost against.
I wonder why OKC wasn't moved to the SW division, by the way.
To equalize the number of teams in each division, plus Seattle was already in the NW. That said if the Kings move to Seattle...
Indeed there's still the issue of one franchise leaving the SW division to make place for OKC... I'd say MEM is the odd one out, but they'd have to move to the East so it doesn't really help.
Who would you replace and where would you put them that wouldn't be as awkward as OKC in the NW?
If the Kings move to Seattle, they'll probably leave them right where they are: the Pacific division.
Only way I can think of is to have OKC in SW, Memphis moved to East and MIL to NW. At least MIL is close to MIN, but it would be tough to take them out of a division in which all the franchises are so close geographically. And I assume moving franchises between conferences is a lot worse than a misplaced team in a division. Still a lot of travel for OKC for division games...
Not sure that's a vast improvement. It's also not just OKC that is screwed. In that 5 team division, you have teams from 3 time zones, the only NBA division like that. OKC and Minny in CST, Denver and Utah in MST, and Portland in PST.
If I were Stern for a day, the only divisional change I'd make is switching Phoenix to the NW and Portland BACK into the Pacific, where they belong and always have belonged. That makes the Pacific all one time zone instead of two, and the NW two time zones instead of three. It's probably some sort of TV thing, though, and they'd never do it.
If Seattle gets a team again, though, you have to put Portland in their division. That was one of the great rivalries.
One somewhat radical possibility is to split up the Texas teams.
Pacific: SEA, POR, LAC, LAL, GS
Southwest: UTA, DEN, PHO, SA, DAL
Central redux: HOU, NO, MEM, OC, MIN
So, we are prison raping our own division and are kind of mediocre against everyone else in the West.
OKC in the Northwest Division does make me LOL, though, tbh. I know it's a holdover from the SUPERSONICS!!! days, but still.
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