With the release of portland trailblazersThe regular season schedule for the 2022-23 season caused a stir about the moves and early runs of tough games the Blazers were to experience this season. Described the geographical location of Portland It plays a big part in the yearly scheduling folly, and nothing could be done about it.
Shortly thereafter, a reader suggested that the NBA’s divisions should be reorganized so that the Blazers would not be such an outlier among their Western Conference brethren, as a reminder that something could be done. There was a note to remind you. That’s the subject of today’s Blazer’s Edge Mailbag.
Dave,
What are your thoughts on the pan-Pacific time zone split? It makes no sense that OKC is still in the same division as the Blazers. Swapping Phoenix and Portland makes some sense to bring better alignment in the Western Conference.
Thank you.
Tim, Portland, Oregon
you’re riding something there Some overhaul and update to the NBA’s division/conference system has been long overdue.
The current NBA east-west layout can be imagined as a diagonal line stretching southeast from the Minnesota-Wisconsin border to the Florida Panhandle. If you appreciate the ridiculousness of what is mentioned near the discussion about “Florida”, western If you look at the conference, you can see how ridiculous it is that New Orleans, Louisiana and Memphis, Tennessee are now in the “west”.
The NBA’s “Northwest Division” is similar, with one Northwest team, the Trail Blazers.of utah jazz When Denver Nuggets Located in the southwestern United States, Oklahoma City sits directly above Texas (again, remember). Northwest), dead in the middle of the continent.
Part of the folly can be explained by the unusual number of teams in the current league. 30 is not evenly divisible. With 15 teams in each conference, he has only one division option. Considering these small groups are mostly meaningless when it comes to actual play, this is off-putting, but given the geographic disparity, so is it when it comes to actual rivalries.
Frankly, I don’t see much hope of addressing this issue until the league expands. Proximity becomes an afterthought as soon as you need to split into odd conference teams and smaller departments. Frankly, even with the Phoenix-Portland swap suggested in the question, the Blazers are still there.
Luckily, the league is likely to expand, and the move could add teams to the West. His two names most consistently served are Seattle and Las Vegas. It will do Portland a favor and help set the map right again.
Importantly, moving to 32 franchises splits them into 16 teams per conference instead of 15. After that, the league could revert to two divisions per conference instead of three.
The north-south dividing line becomes easier. The Pacific Division includes the Blazers, Sonics, Kings, Warriors, lakers, Clippers, Jazz and Vegas franchises. The Midwest Division includes the Suns, Nuggets, Thunder, Rockets, Spurs, Mavericks and Timberwolves. We’ll probably need an eighth team, either the Bucks or the Bulls.
Note that this weirdness is only necessary because Las Vegas is an expansion spot. there is.
A vertical line down the continent marks the two eastern divisions. The Mideastern Division consists of Milwaukee or Chicago, Raptors, Pistons, Pacers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are now properly aligned east. The remainder of the franchise operates along the Atlantic coastline, parallel to the Pacific division on the other side of the country.
Adding Seattle helps the Blazers travel, and Las Vegas isn’t far. Soon Portland’s isolation will end. The Timberwolves and Suns would be the outliers with the Midwest Division covering vast territory, but it’s less of a hassle and, frankly, it’s time someone else shouldered that burden.
That is my restructuring proposal. what’s your great idea? Please comment below. Also, don’t forget to send your questions to blazersub@gmail.com.
