NBA Conference Transition

[Blangdon]

Will the NBA shuffle the conferences because of our beloved OKC...whatever they will be named...moving? If so, what will the conferences look like? Who will move where?

[AFCM]

They will be playing in the Western Conference: Northwest Division. No transition.

[OKCMallen]

which is good, because the SW division is brutal.

[Richard at Remax]

people dont realize that OKC will actually be closer to Denver and Minneapolis than Seattle was. Of course Salt Lake and Portland will still be a trip.

[Blangdon]

but isn't it a bit odd that OKC is in the "NORTHWEST"?

[Richard at Remax]

I guess. But they could be in the Middle East division for all I care. Just not the Southwest. That would be brutal.

[windowphobe]

The five Southwest cities: San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, Memphis. Oklahoma City is north of all of them (though not by much in the case of Memphis: less than half a degree of latitude).

[Toadrax]

It is kind of like when I was a kid, someone in my family told me that Mississippi was more south than Florida and that confused me for many years....

The name of a direction doesn't always have to do with an actual direction.

[Midtowner]

It is kind of like when I was a kid, someone in my family told me that Mississippi was more south than Florida and that confused me for many years....

The name of a direction doesn't always have to do with an actual direction.

More southern, not more south

[El Gato Pollo Loco!!!]

but isn't it a bit odd that OKC is in the "NORTHWEST"?

You mean like the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East?

[LIL_WAYNE_4_PREZIDENT08]

It is kind of like when I was a kid, someone in my family told me that Mississippi was more south than Florida and that confused me for many years....

The name of a direction doesn't always have to do with an actual direction.

i still dont get this

[chuckdiesel]

I am pulling for the Memphis Grizzlies to relocate to Las Vegas. It would be an easy swap then. They could be in the Northwest and OKC could take their place in the Southwest with Dallas, Houston, NO, and SA.

[Luke]

Miami, Florida is further West than any city in South America.

[El Gato Pollo Loco!!!]

Canada is south of Detroit.

That said, I don't think there will be a realignment anytime soon, not until there is expansion or if other teams move (i.e. Memphis moving to Seattle).

[OKCMallen]

and OKC could take their place in the Southwest with Dallas, Houston, NO, and SA.

[LordGerald]

Two years ago, the guys at work sat around a table and we started realigning the conferences and divisions to make room for the OKC NBA Team. Two years later, we have not come up with an equitable compromise. We've tried everything, even looking at teams moving from the Eastern Conference and so forth.

It is in our best interest if Memphis sells out and moves to the far West, and then we switch with them. Granted the Southwest Division is brutal, but Dallas, San Antonio will age out and we could build a rivalry with New Orleans.

As it stands now, we will have games against Portland that will be two hours off of our schedule and it will cause some branding nightmares, when the box score won't make the morning paper, and tip-offs could be at 9 p.m. our time...

[MonkeesFan]

Two years ago, the guys at work sat around a table and we started realigning the conferences and divisions to make room for the OKC NBA Team. Two years later, we have not come up with an equitable compromise. We've tried everything, even looking at teams moving from the Eastern Conference and so forth.

It is in our best interest if Memphis sells out and moves to the far West, and then we switch with them. Granted the Southwest Division is brutal, but Dallas, San Antonio will age out and we could build a rivalry with New Orleans.

As it stands now, we will have games against Portland that will be two hours off of our schedule and it will cause some branding nightmares, when the box score won't make the morning paper, and tip-offs could be at 9 p.m. our time...

As long Tim Duncan is with the Spurs, the Spurs will be brutal

[Luke]

That made me LOL.

[Watson410]

They could be in the Northwest and OKC could take their place in the Southwest with Dallas, Houston, NO, and SA.

Can someone please explain why everyone is against this?

[LordGerald]

Watson, are you asking why people are resistant to being in the Southwest or Northwest?

If the Southwest, I think the general thought is that three of the West's best teams are in the division, SA, Dallas and NO. Our young team will struggle against these teams for several years.

For the Northwest, the added travel, and the time difference will have an equal impact on the team, and ultimately, the fans. Not many of us can stay up til midnight on a weeknight to find out if the team beat Portland.

Ideally, the OKC team belongs in the Southwest, because travel costs would be diminished, and all games would be in the Central Time Zone. Memphis is really the odd team in this arrangement. If they leave Memphis anytime in the coming years, it would be nice to switch divisions with them.