Realignment

[elindholm]

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"The East will be made up of the Atlantic, Central (Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee) and Southeast (Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Washington) Divisions. Out West, the composition is the Southwest (Dallas, Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, San Antonio), Northwest (Denver, Minnesota, Portland, Seattle, Utah) and Pacific (Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix and Sacramento) Divisions.

"The league's 30 teams are voting on the new alignment, with the ballots due tomorrow. Approval appears to be a mere formality."

Elsewhere in the article, they have the Atlantic as including Philadelphia, Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Toronto.

So one of our guesses for the West was correct. The Suns will be in the California division, yippee. And "Gulf," as I suggested, would be a much cooler name for the Southwest division. It's not quite accurate, but let's put it this way: everyone who thinks Memphis is in the Southwest, raise your hand.

 

[maddogkf]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-nbarealignment&prov=ap&type=lgns

NBA approves realignment plan


November 17, 2003
NEW YORK (AP) -- 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, Los Angeles 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.

 

[maddogkf]

Breakdown:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Boston
New Jersey
New York
Philadelphia
Toronto.

Central Division
Chicago
Cleveland
Detroit
Indiana
Milwaukee

Southeast Division
Atlanta
Miami
Orlando
Washington
Charlotte Bobcats

Western Conference

Southwest Division
New Orleans
Dallas
Houston
Memphis
San Antonio

Northwest Division
Denver
Minnesota
Portland
Seattle
Utah

Pacific Division
Golden State
Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Clippers
Phoenix
Sacramento.