Divisional realignment

[Mark Piotrowski <markp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

some interesting things here for next season.  I like the changes in 
the East which make a lot of sense geographically.

the revised Atlantic Division:
boston
NY
NJ
Toronto
Philly

(new) Southeast:
orlando
miami
washington
charlotte
atlanta

revised Midwest:
Chicago
Cleveland
Detroit
Indiana
Milwaukee

also winning your division guarantees a playoff birth -- in the 
Southeast (for the near future) this may mean a 9th or 10th ranked team 
leapfrogging a 8th Ranked for the playoffs.  Right now (i know its 
ridiculously early) but Phily (8) would miss the playoffs for 
Washington (9) as a division winner.

seeding is straight 1-8 per conference though; no more #2 seed for the 
division winner.  There was some rumor that the NBA might go to 1-16 
seeding, irrespective of conference.  i"m glad they didn't do that.

New Orleans has got to be pissed -- moving into the West. Conf and into 
a division with Dallas, San Antonio, Houston & Memphis...zoinks!

(new) Southwest:
New Orleans
Memphis
Dallas
San Antnoino
Houston

Northwest:
Denver
Minnesota
utah
Portland
Seattle

Pacific:
LA Clips
LA Lakers
Golden st.
sacramento
pheonix

- (the other) mark
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, November 17, 2003
Expansion Bobcats prompt change
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The NBA's board of governors approved a realignment plan 
Monday that creates three divisions of five teams each in the Eastern 
and Western conferences.


The expansion Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA's 30th team, were placed in 
the Eastern Conference and the New Orleans Hornets were moved to the 
Western Conference. The Hornets previously played in Charlotte before 
moving to New Orleans two seasons ago.

Joining the new Charlotte franchise in the Southeast Division of the 
Eastern Conference will be Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Washington. The 
Central Division will have Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana and 
Milwaukee. Atlantic Division teams will be Boston, New Jersey, New 
York, Philadelphia and Toronto.


New Orleans will play in the Southwest Division of the Western 
Conference with Dallas, Houston, Memphis and San Antonio. The Northwest 
Division will have Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle and Utah. The 
Pacific Division teams are Golden State, the Los Angeles Lakers and 
Clippers, Phoenix and Sacramento.


Teams will play divisional opponents twice at home and twice on the 
road. They will play conference opponents outside their division three 
or four times, and teams from the other conference twice -- at home and 
away.

Divisional winners each earn a playoff berth. The remaining five 
playoff berths for each conference will be based on regular-season 
records with no regard to divisional alignment.

Home-court advantage throughout the playoffs will be based solely on 
regular-season records. That means a divisional winner will not 
necessarily have home court advantage in the playoff series.