In pre-season writings, everyone agreed that the NBA Atlantic Division was the weakest in the league. But not as weak as this—there is not one club in the division with a winning record. In fact, there is not one team that’s even close to having a positive mark.
Toronto and New Jersey are tied for first at 13- 18. That’s right, it’s not 18- 13, it is 13- 18 or .419 PCT. The hapless New York Knicks are next at 13- 21 (.382 PCT), followed by the once-proud Boston Celtics at 11- 19 (.367 PCT—sorry Red!) and the Iverson-less Philadelphia 76ers at 9- 22 (.290 PCT).
Let’s put this in perspective. In the Eastern Conference’s Central Division every team has a winning grade and in the Southeast three of the five teams are all doing better than any Atlantic Division club, including the slow starting championship Miami Heat at 13- 17 (.433 PCT).
In the Atlantic Division it looks like, as expected, that the only team that will make the post season will be the one that “wins� (and I’m using that term with my tongue in my cheek) the division. At the rate that teams are winning and losing in the division the top club should have a 34- 48 record at the end of the year! In other divisions that a last place record not first.
What this means simply is that the NBA is NOT working. The lack of parity between divisions in the Eastern Conference is appalling. The Central is dominant, with the Southeast lagging and the Atlantic imperceptible.
Compare that to the Western Conference where two of the three divisions have three top teams each and the third division has two of the best. That’s parity!
In the Central, all five teams own winning records with Milwaukee posting the worst grade at 16- 15 (.516 PCT). Now if only the best team in the Atlantic could match the worst team in the Central’s record, the NBA might be able to say it’s starting to have a competitive league. Parity and nightly competition in the NBA? That’s a dream away. Thank God there’s still four weeks of football left.
NHL anyone?
Technorati Tags: NBA
