Mark Cuban - Realignment could help

[KobesFinger]

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said (http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/id/11943941/mark-cuban-dallas-mavericks-conference-realignment-benefit-nba?ex_cid=sportscenterTW) switching some teams between conferences could help level the playing field.

In his idea his Mavs along with the Rockets, Spurs and Pelicans would move to the Eastern conference while the Bulls, Pacers, Bucks and Pistons would move to the Western conference.


"It's not like it'd be the first time we've ever realigned," Cuban said. "It's happened many times before, so there's precedent and I just think it shakes things up and makes things interesting.

The Mavs were the 8 seed last year with 49 wins, which would've given them the 3rd seed in the East that year.

The new Southwest division would feature the Bulls, Pacers, Bucks, Pistons and Grizzlies, while the new Midwest division would feature the Mavericks, Rockets, Pelicans, Spurs and Cavaliers.

What do you think ISH? How many wins would those East teams win out West and vice versa?

[JohnFreeman]

I don't see how that solves the problem?

[Droid101]

I don't see how that solves the problem?
Duh, it doesn't. It moves his team to the easy conference for easy wins.

[brooks_thompson]

Always salivated at the thought. Miami wouldve been very lucky to make 1of their 4 Finals if the Grizzlies were east.

[DMAVS41]

Realignments seems like overkill.

Why not just have the best 16 teams make the playoffs? Then...you still get the advantage in the East (right now) of playing an easier schedule. So if you still can't get in...you don't deserve to.

With how easy it is to travel now...teams can make it work in the playoffs.

[Mr.Kite]

no need for realignment.

just have the top 16 teams play it out in the playoffs.

[fpliii]

Realignments seems like overkill.

Why not just have the best 16 teams make the playoffs? Then...you still get the advantage in the East (right now) of playing an easier schedule. So if you still can't get in...you don't deserve to.

With how easy it is to travel now...teams can make it work in the playoffs.

no need for realignment.

just have the top 16 teams play it out in the playoffs.

Nah, would definitely be strongly, strongly opposed to that. Lame as hell.

One of the best storylines/narratives centers around roadblock teams in the playoffs (i.e. the Celtics blocking Wilt, the Sixers/Celtics knocking each other off in the 80s, the Pistons blocking MJ/Scottie, all the crazy teams in the West in the early/mid 00s, the Celtics blocking LeBron/Wade before they teamed up, even the Clippers/Grizz now).

Who the hell wants to see semi-Finals of teams cross-country? :oldlol:

Re-alignment makes a ton of sense. I wouldn't say whole divisions should change conferences, but moving a few teams? Why not?

[rezznor]

no need for realignment.

just have the top 16 teams play it out in the playoffs.
This. Keep regular season schedule and travel the same but seed playoffs according to the best teams league wide

[guy]

Realignments seems like overkill.

Why not just have the best 16 teams make the playoffs? Then...you still get the advantage in the East (right now) of playing an easier schedule. So if you still can't get in...you don't deserve to.

With how easy it is to travel now...teams can make it work in the playoffs.

Realignments are overkill but your idea isn't?

Terrible idea. First of all, rivalries suffer, the likelihood of seeing two teams face off in the playoffs 2-3 consecutive years is much less. Second, who wants to see teams like the Celtics/Lakers or Spurs/Heat face off in the Finals one year then the first round the next year? Third, travel during the playoffs would suck and/or they would have more days in between playoff games, which they have already increased over the years.

More importantly, what exactly does this accomplish? Teams like last year's Suns and Twolves who more then likely weren't going to get remotely close to a championship get to the playoffs? What's the point of such a drastic change just for that?

Alignment can make sense if it makes some type of sense geographically. Conference domination is cyclical anyway, but since this one seems to be going longer then usual, it makes sense to do this. Switching Milwaukee and Memphis would make a huge difference.

[gts]

Realignments seems like overkill.

Why not just have the best 16 teams make the playoffs? Then...you still get the advantage in the East (right now) of playing an easier schedule. So if you still can't get in...you don't deserve to.

With how easy it is to travel now...teams can make it work in the playoffs.

I've been a proponent of this idea for some time... best 16 teams make it, worst don't... I hate you have teams milking it and still make the playoffs where teams that are actually striving to be better are missing out

[konex]

Duh, it doesn't. It moves his team to the easy conference for easy wins.

Seriously :roll:

The easy fix is to just play a balanced schedule (every team plays the other the same number of times). Forget about division rivalries cos no one cares anyways

[bigkingsfan]

Fixes short term, but will be out of whack again.

[Magic 32]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2706373/lebronrun_medium.gif

[kNIOKAS]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2706373/lebronrun_medium.gif
Appropriate gif. Who negged you like that?

[GimmeThat]

no need for realignment.

just have the top 16 teams play it out in the playoffs.


only if you are interested in killing the whole "rivalry" thing

[Foster5k]

No matter what the league decides to do, people will always complain. Some people always want to switch things and change things just to do it. I'm sure the NBA will do something just to say they did something. However, after a few years, it will just change again anyways.

[KobesFinger]

Is there a reason the East sucks?

[CelticBaller]

how about new conferences? remove this west Vs east shit

[SpanishACB]

make the NBA have a few less games

have everyone play each other twice, home and away and then top 16 to playoffs

[Mr.Kite]

only if you are interested in killing the whole "rivalry" thing

Theres no rivalry in the nba. Its only a bunch of super friends

[blazerftc]

Is there a reason the East sucks?

IMO it's due to the current playoff structure. Each conference get 7 lottery teams. This allows for a concentration of young talent on the already pretty good western teams. If they went to a "best 16" format the 14 worst teams would get the best chances to truly improve. It would create parity, and also allow us to watch better basketball in general. Especially in the playoffs.

[T_L_P]

I'm all for 1-16 best record seeding.

But I don't think it will happen. I'm not from America, but I've read that casual fans for a Western team wouldn't stay awake until after 1AM to watch a game, and casual Eastern fans wouldn't rush home from work...or something like that (correct me if I am wrong).

[T_L_P]

Is there a reason the East sucks?

25 win Eastern teams win 35 games because of an easier schedule.

35 win Western teams win 25 games because of harder schedule.

Better, smarter franchises, and a bunch of more attractive FA cities.

Now, imagine if the Grizzlies got the number 1 pick for LeBron instead of Cleveland.

[SexSymbol]

Let in two more teams and make 4 conferences