West Execs tired of the East being trash.

[CrimsonTider]

Everything runs in cycles, no need to change anything

East has been bad forever

 

[CrimsonTider]

this format will render alot more games as meaningless and perhaps earlier than before when the playoff picture starts developing

They can’t be more meaningless that they already are

 

[Oldschooler]

Not sure if it was mentioned before but conferences and divisions are there so that the NBA can minimize travel and maximize the amount of games played while having the lowest cost of travel possible. Also, long travel can have impact on performance. So how do you distinguish between a schedule loss and a real loss if there's no conferences.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

1-16 would be a ball

 

[Shadow King]

From 4 years ago on the expansion topic but relevant to the idea of conferences.

If 82 games of NBA is what it is then open it up to play each conference 41 times. Home court in the Finals works that way because it makes sense. There's Western teams with better records against the East then intraconference play and same for some Eastern teams, the best of each conference is all that's left so they've already proven they've mastered their main competition.

If we think 1-16 is fair then get rid of conferences or make an American and National Conference irrespective of geography like the NFL and MLB.

Yes we acknowledged it, but I don't agree with it. It should stop it in the playoff because your record is based on this geographic limitation. If they can't change the format of the league then leave the postseason the way it is.

Baseball still has divisions but their conferences are not geographically restricted. The Yankees will play a series in Tampa, come back host the Tigers, go out and do a series in Houston, and there's twice as many games in baseball.

If you don't want a geographic slant or divider in the postseason then your conferences shouldn't be limited by geography.

Edit: Not a perfect 41/41 but all leagues do intraconference play more so I was wrong on that anyway.

Intraconference:
4 games x 4 divisionals: 16
3 games x 6 conference: 18
2 games x 4 conference: 8
You play your 14 conference rivals 42x

Interconference:
3 games x 8 teams: 24
2 games x 7 teams: 14

You play out of conference 38 times. The league loses 2 games but the biggest stars take 10 games off anyway and schedule contraction has been talked about. But as long as you play your geographic conference 52 times and the other conference just 30, play your own conference in the postseason.

 

[Shadow King]

I've said this before. But just eliminate East vs West and go to an MLB/NFL style conference system when the expansion teams come in:

American Conference
EAST
Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
New York Knicks
Toronto Raptors

CENTRAL
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Oklahoma City Thunder
Utah Jazz

SOUTH
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat

WEST
*Las Vegas Basketball Team*
Los Angeles Clippers
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings

National Conference
EAST
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Wizards

CENTRAL
Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves

SOUTH
Atlanta Hawks
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
San Antonio Spurs

WEST
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
*Seattle Supersonics*

...............

Do it like NBA used to do it, and how MLB and NFL do it, where divisions matter and division winner automatically gets a berth and Top 4 seed....

If you still want this play-in shyt like those leagues' wild card rounds, give the 5 and 6 seeds to the next best teams, then play-in for 7 and 8 (wild cards). But I'd just as soon go back to an 8-team format straight up, with next 4 seeds following the auto berths...

NBA is committed to an 82-game schedule, so you play the other 3 teams in your division 4x apiece (12 games)...

The other 12 teams in your conference, 3x apiece (36 games; + division makes it 48 games)...

Play all 16 teams from the other Conference 2x (32 games), that's an 80-game schedule there...

Obviously the wins and losses would look different this year if this were the actual set up, but just as a fan fic exercise, this year's seeding, based on right now, would be:

AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1 Thunder (64-13)
2 Cavs (62-15)
3 Rockets (51-27)
4 Clips (46-32)
_______
5 Celtics (57-20)
6 Knicks (49-28)
.........
7 Pacers (46-31)
8 Grizz (46-32)
9 Pistons (43-35)
10 Mavs (38-41)
___________________
11 Kings (37-40)
12 Heat (35-43)
13 Blazers (34-44)
14 Raptors (28-50)
15 Jazz (16-62)
*16 LV team**

NATIONAL BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1 Lakers (47-30)
2 Nuggets (47-31)
3 Magic (38-40)
4 Nets (25-52)
________
5 Dubs (46-31)
6 Wolves (46-32)
................
7 Bucks (43-34)
8 Hawks (36-41)
9 Bulls (35-42)
10 Suns (35-42)
________________
11 Spurs (32-45)
12 Sixers (23-55)
13 Pels (21-56)
14 Hornets (19-58)
15 Wizards (17-60)
*16 Sonics**

......................

Again obviously the wins and losses would look different in a set-up like this. The Cavs wouldn't just get to feast on the Sixers, Hornets, and Wizards, who they are a combined 10-0 this season. In this format, they'd only have 6 games total vs those 3 teams, while having to play teams like the Thunder and Rockets a combined 6x, who they are 1-3 vs this year...

It works like this in the perceived weaker conference too, Lakers could in theory feast on the weaker "East" squads but having to play the Bulls (0-2), Nuggets 2-2), Bucks (0-2), and Wolves (2-2) a combined 12x, which this year their records vs those teams is 4-8 as is, if they don't win their division, that becomes pertinent in intra-league standings...

Yup. Only thing I don't agree with is division winners as Top 4 berths as it can reward tall midgets and shaft good teams in bloodbath divisions.

 

[FaTaL]

East has been bad forever

Eventually the tide will turn when they keep getting the best picks

 

[FTBS]

In that case you may as well eliminate conferences, which I'm not in favor of...

I'm radical when it comes to stuff like that . I think we are all in agreement a change needs to be made. Realistically, they arent cutting games or playoff spots or re-aligning. If the right people get behind 1-16 it is at least remotely possible.

 

[FTBS]

Not sure if it was mentioned before but conferences and divisions are there so that the NBA can minimize travel and maximize the amount of games played while having the lowest cost of travel possible. Also, long travel can have impact on performance. So how do you distinguish between a schedule loss and a real loss if there's no conferences.

Portland and Dallas are in the same conference. Toronto and Miami are in the same conference. In the playoffs there are no back to backs and everyone has their own luxury plane. If we were still traveling by bus, I could see. But that still doesnt account for massive intra-conference distances.

 

[tremonthustler1]

You dont even have to go through all that. They keeping 82. They keeping 16 teams (which defeats purpose of division). They likely keeping the play in. Top 16 overall get in. Quick simple and easy change.

Television will never let it happen because if all the good teams are in 1 conference it’s a scheduling nightmare.

 

[bl2k8]

The West was bad or virtually non-existent in any and all times pre-Jordan Retirement 2.

60s: Only 8-10 teams period East of the Mississippi outside of LA.
70s: Merger era with most teams still geographically East and conferences are arbitrary.
80s: Showtime with no competition.
90s: Better but not the bloodbath of the 2000-10s. Close to what the East is now as I type this.

The status of the West running for 20 years is technically still balancing the cycle out.

There were years the west was better overall then the east in the 90s too . Ain’t nothing balancing out

 

[tremonthustler1]

I've said this before. But just eliminate East vs West and go to an MLB/NFL style conference system when the expansion teams come in:

American Conference
EAST
Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
New York Knicks
Toronto Raptors

CENTRAL
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Oklahoma City Thunder
Utah Jazz

SOUTH
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat

WEST
*Las Vegas Basketball Team*
Los Angeles Clippers
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings

National Conference
EAST
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Wizards

CENTRAL
Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves

SOUTH
Atlanta Hawks
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
San Antonio Spurs

WEST
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
*Seattle Supersonics*

...............

Do it like NBA used to do it, and how MLB and NFL do it, where divisions matter and division winner automatically gets a berth and Top 4 seed....

If you still want this play-in shyt like those leagues' wild card rounds, give the 5 and 6 seeds to the next best teams, then play-in for 7 and 8 (wild cards). But I'd just as soon go back to an 8-team format straight up, with next 4 seeds following the auto berths...

NBA is committed to an 82-game schedule, so you play the other 3 teams in your division 4x apiece (12 games)...

The other 12 teams in your conference, 3x apiece (36 games; + division makes it 48 games)...

Play all 16 teams from the other Conference 2x (32 games), that's an 80-game schedule there...

Obviously the wins and losses would look different this year if this were the actual set up, but just as a fan fic exercise, this year's seeding, based on right now, would be:

AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1 Thunder (64-13)
2 Cavs (62-15)
3 Rockets (51-27)
4 Clips (46-32)
_______
5 Celtics (57-20)
6 Knicks (49-28)
.........
7 Pacers (46-31)
8 Grizz (46-32)
9 Pistons (43-35)
10 Mavs (38-41)
___________________
11 Kings (37-40)
12 Heat (35-43)
13 Blazers (34-44)
14 Raptors (28-50)
15 Jazz (16-62)
*16 LV team**

NATIONAL BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1 Lakers (47-30)
2 Nuggets (47-31)
3 Magic (38-40)
4 Nets (25-52)
________
5 Dubs (46-31)
6 Wolves (46-32)
................
7 Bucks (43-34)
8 Hawks (36-41)
9 Bulls (35-42)
10 Suns (35-42)
________________
11 Spurs (32-45)
12 Sixers (23-55)
13 Pels (21-56)
14 Hornets (19-58)
15 Wizards (17-60)
*16 Sonics**

......................

Again obviously the wins and losses would look different in a set-up like this. The Cavs wouldn't just get to feast on the Sixers, Hornets, and Wizards, who they are a combined 10-0 this season. In this format, they'd only have 6 games total vs those 3 teams, while having to play teams like the Thunder and Rockets a combined 6x, who they are 1-3 vs this year...

It works like this in the perceived weaker conference too, Lakers could in theory feast on the weaker "East" squads but having to play the Bulls (0-2), Nuggets 2-2), Bucks (0-2), and Wolves (2-2) a combined 12x, which this year their records vs those teams is 4-8 as is, if they don't win their division, that becomes pertinent in intra-league standings...

Too radical for the NBA, but I’d welcome this

 

[Shadow King]

There were years the west was better overall then the east in the 90s too . Ain’t nothing balancing out

Individual years =/= the 90s as a decade in the same light as the 00s or 10s, let the East be the stronger half from the 2025/26 on and you will not be saying "b b but the East was equal
!"

And that still doesn't erase the previous decades spoken on.

 

[FTBS]

Television will never let it happen because if all the good teams are in 1 conference it’s a scheduling nightmare.

Thats actually a point in favor of 1-16. It wouldnt matter if all the good teams were in one conference.

 

[bl2k8]

Individual years =/= the 90s as a decade in the same light as the 00s or 10s, let the East be the stronger half from the 2025/26 on and you will not be saying "b b but the East was equal
!"

And that still doesn't erase the previous decades spoken on.

I’m not erasing anything. There has been one decade where the West has been clearly and significantly weaker than the East. We’re coming up on 3 in a row if the east doesn’t get it together in the second half of the 20s