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<< Previous Next >> -------------------- November 21, 2003 Division of land
The NBA has announced that for the 2004-05 season there will be new divisions. Each conference will have 3 divisions of 5 teams. The arrival of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats for the start of that season will bring the league to a total of 30 franchises (all fighting for one crown). But what do you call a realignment, when the ones who were publicly begging for one don't get what they wished for? Such is the case of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies. Both had wanted to be located to the East. Memphis is shoved in a division with the Texas trio of Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, who all figure to be strong teams for years to come. New Orleans is having a good season so far in the East, but come tip-off 2004, they'll be among the giants in the NBA's varsity conference. In the East the Bobcats may just be the luckiest expansion team - if conditions stay the same. They're pooled with relatively mediocre teams like Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Washington. Other changes brought by the new divisional orders will be as follows: "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." 2004-05 NBA season divisions outlook: East West Southeast Division Southwest division Atlanta Dallas Charlotte Houston Miami Memphis Orlando New Orleans Washington San Antonio Central Division Northwest division Chicago Denver Cleveland Minnesota Detroit Portland Indiana Seattle Milwaukee Utah Atlantic Division Pacific division Boston Golden State New Jersey LA Lakers New York LA Clippers Philadelphia Phoenix Toronto Sacramento << Previous Next >> Back to 2003-04 archive Back to top
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