SOLUTION TO NBA REALIGNMENT & PLAYOFF IMBALANCE Realignment is necessary because teams like Minnesota and Portland are too out of place. Realignment using 5 odd numbered divisions w/ 6 teams each makes a whole lot of geographical sense (ALL TEAMS FIT VERY NICELY!), and having 5 divisions (not 4 or 6) actually SOLVES the playoff strength imbalance problem using FLEXIBILITY to balance EAST/WEST strengths (weakest seeds) come playoff time: W E S T E R N C O N F E R E N C E PACIFIC DIVISION - Portland, Sacramento, Golden State, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Utah SOUTHWEST DIVISION - Denver, Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City M I D C O N F E R E N C E CENTRAL DIVISION - Minnesota(SP), Milwaukee(SP), Chicago(SP), Indiana(SP), Cleveland(E), Detroit(E) E A S T E R N C O N F E R E N C E ATLANTIC DIVISION - Toronto(E), Boston(E), New York(E), Brooklyn(E), Philadelphia(E), Washington(E) SOUTHEAST DIVISION - Charlotte(E), Atlanta(E), Memphis(SP), New Orleans(SP), Orlando(E), Miami(E) S C H E D U L E (12 West teams play mostly West teams, 12 East teams marked w/ (E) play mostly East teams(E), 6 Split teams marked w/ (SP) play balanced schedule of West and East teams(E)): - 12 West Conference teams only: 25 games own division (5 games each), 18 games sister division (3 games each), 15 games w/ 6 Split teams marked (SP) from Central division and Southeast division (avg. 2.5 games each), 24 games w/ 12 East teams marked (E) (2 games each) - 6 East Conference teams only in Atlantic division: 25 games own division (5 games each), 18 games w/ 6 other East teams marked (E) outside division (3 games each), 15 games w/ 6 Split teams marked (SP) from Central division and Southeast division (avg. 2.5 games each), 24 games w/ 12 West teams (2 games each) - 4 East Conference teams only in Southeast division marked (E): 24 games own division (avg. 4.8 games each), 24 games w/ 8 other East teams marked (E) outside division (3 games each), 10 games w/ 4 Split teams marked (SP) only from Central division (avg. 2.5 games each), 24 games w/ 12 West teams (2 games each) - 2 Split teams only in Southeast division marked (SP): 24 games own division (avg. 4.8 games each), 20 games w/ 8 other East teams marked (E) outside division (avg. 2.5 games each), 8 games w/ 4 Split teams marked (SP) only from Central division (2 games each), 30 games w/ 12 West teams (avg. 2.5 games each) - 4 Split teams only in Central division marked (SP): 23 games own division (avg. 4.6 games each), 25 games w/ 10 other East teams marked (E) outside division (avg. 2.5 games each), 4 games w/ 2 Split teams marked (SP) only from Southeast division (2 games each), 30 games w/ 12 West teams (avg. 2.5 games each) - 2 East Conference teams only in Central division marked (E): 23 games own division (avg. 4.6 games each), 30 games w/ 10 other East teams marked (E) outside division (3 games each), 5 games w/ 2 Split teams marked (SP) only from Southeast division (avg. 2.5 games each), 24 games w/ 12 West teams (2 games each) P L A Y O F F S: 16-team format EAST bracket vs WEST bracket. Top team (division winner) from each division automatically qualifies (5 teams), then best of rest wild card teams from anywhere in the League qualify (best remaining 11 teams). Use the 6 Split teams marked w/ (SP) for EAST and/or WEST bracket(s) as appropriate "go-between" teams to help evenly divide brackets so that lowest #8 seeds from each EAST/WEST bracket are as balanced as possible, avoiding undesirable imbalance of one bracket having a weak seed team(s) w/ losing record(s) while the other bracket has much stronger weak seed record(s) – causing other team(s) w/ decent record(s) to miss playoffs unfairly. THIS 5 DIVISION SYSTEM WORKS! I CHECKED THE PAST 10 YEARS AND FOUND NO UNFAIR PLAYOFF LOW #8 SEED FORMAT USING THIS 5 DIVISIONAL SYSTEM.
