Expansion

[JB7]

So I was briefly listening to the Bill Simmons podcast, and they were doing an expansion draft, if expansion were to happen today. I didn't find the podcast all that interesting because the rosters for teams could be so dramatically different if it were to happen in the next couple of years, which Bill seemed to think might be a possibility.

What I actually think is more interesting, and how it could impact the Raptors, is how the league could potentially re-organize the teams amongst the two conferences and how they would structure the divisions.

Adding 2 teams (most likely Vegas and Seattle), would of course mean 32 teams and 16 per conference. This presents two problems:
1) If it is Vegas and Seattle joining, it would make most sense for both of those clubs to join the Western Conference. So which team in the West would move East? Minny, Memphis or New Orleans (or is there another team)?
2) How would the league structure the Divisions. 3 Divisions per Conference makes sense with 15 teams, but do they instead go to 2 Divisions with 8 teams each, or 4 Divisions with 4 teams each?

Where this impacts the Raps, is if the league goes to 2 divisions per conference, I could possibly see the Raptors ending up in the Central Division with Detroit, Cleveland, Indy, Chicago, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and possibly New Orleans, Minny or Memphis.

Would this be a good development for the Raps?

I could easily see the league going with an Atlantic coast conference of: NY, Brooklyn, Boston, Philly, Washington, Miami, Orlando and Charlotte.

In the West it would probably be a Pacific Coast division of: Seattle, Portland, Golden State, Sacramento, LAL, LAC, Phoenix and Vegas; and a Central West Division of: Denver, Utah, OKC, Dallas, Houston, SA, and then two of Memphis, New Orleans and Minny.

[MoneyBall]

I wonder if Mexico City will get a team in my lifetime.

[DreamTeam09]

Not scared of anyone in the east, even with the new possible teams entering. I do believe it'll be one of either Minny or Memphis. Most likely I think they go Minny, it's a cold weather state along with the majority of the eastern teams. I don't want another warm weather team in the east, but either way, none of those teams are really scary. A lot of teams are nearing aging out or near having their superstar ask out

[JB7]

Not scared of anyone in the east, even with the new possible teams entering. I do believe it'll be one of either Minny or Memphis. Most likely I think they go Minny, it's a cold weather state along with the majority of the eastern teams. I don't want another warm weather team in the east, but either way, none of those teams are really scary. A lot of teams are nearing aging out or near having their superstar ask out

Yes, it could be a huge win for the Raps to be out of the Division with some of the bigger markets/draws for FAs in Miami, NY, Brooklyn and Boston.

[wegotthabeet]

So I was briefly listening to the Bill Simmons podcast, and they were doing an expansion draft, if expansion were to happen today. I didn't find the podcast all that interesting because the rosters for teams could be so dramatically different if it were to happen in the next couple of years, which Bill seemed to think might be a possibility.

What I actually think is more interesting, and how it could impact the Raptors, is how the league could potentially re-organize the teams amongst the two conferences and how they would structure the divisions.

Adding 2 teams (most likely Vegas and Seattle), would of course mean 32 teams and 16 per conference. This presents two problems:
1) If it is Vegas and Seattle joining, it would make most sense for both of those clubs to join the Western Conference. So which team in the West would move East? Minny, Memphis or New Orleans (or is there another team)?
2) How would the league structure the Divisions. 3 Divisions per Conference makes sense with 15 teams, but do they instead go to 2 Divisions with 8 teams each, or 4 Divisions with 4 teams each?

Where this impacts the Raps, is if the league goes to 2 divisions per conference, I could possibly see the Raptors ending up in the Central Division with Detroit, Cleveland, Indy, Chicago, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and possibly New Orleans, Minny or Memphis.

Would this be a good development for the Raps?

I could easily see the league going with an Atlantic coast conference of: NY, Brooklyn, Boston, Philly, Washington, Miami, Orlando and Charlotte.

In the West it would probably be a Pacific Coast division of: Seattle, Portland, Golden State, Sacramento, LAL, LAC, Phoenix and Vegas; and a Central West Division of: Denver, Utah, OKC, Dallas, Houston, SA, and then two of Memphis, New Orleans and Minny.

No divisions or even conferences. Eventually one of the major leagues will do this and the NBA is the most likely.

[WaltFrazier]

Historically Milwaukee, Houston, Chicago have been in the opposite conference from the one they're in now. In those cities I mean, not talking about a Buffalo to San Diego type move

[JB7]

No divisions or even conferences. Eventually one of the major leagues will do this and the NBA is the most likely.

That would be a hard sell. Teams generally want to minimize travel, and also try to build some local rivalries, which they get with more games played against divisional opponents.

[deeps6x]

Expansion. One word title, one word answer:

Vancouver.

[JB7]

Expansion. One word title, one word answer:

Vancouver.

Missed opportunity. Sounds like they would go to Seattle over Vancouver though.

Just think, if not for VC, Toronto could have suffered the same fate.

[ArthurVandelay]

Seattle and Vegas.

Just a matter of when

[Hero]

It would be really disappointing if the 2 teams were Vegas and Seattle while Vancouver gets shafted.

[mtcan]

I'm down for Alaska and Hawaii to get teams.

[Dennis 37]

Expansion. One word title, one word answer:

Vancouver.

Missed opportunity. Sounds like they would go to Seattle over Vancouver though.

Just think, if not for VC, Toronto could have suffered the same fate.

False narrative. If you go back and look at attendance records they were always healthy. Vince got attention from Americans, but Americans aren't what keeps a team here, it is ticket buying Canadians.

[Dennis 37]

It would be really disappointing if the 2 teams were Vegas and Seattle while Vancouver gets shafted.

Tired of Vegas getting all the expansion and relocation wins. It is a city in a southern desert during global warming. Teams should be added to the north. Seattle and Vancouver.

[Tofubeque]

Looking at proximity to other NBA cities it should absolutely be Minnesota moving east. They’re much, much closer to the great lakes teams than a single western conference one.

Also a great chance to move to a 77 game schedule. 3 games against each in-conference team, 2 games against the rest, get rid of 4 game series

[JB7]

Looking at proximity to other NBA cities it should absolutely be Minnesota moving east. They’re much, much closer to the great lakes teams than a single western conference one.

Also a great chance to move to a 77 game schedule. 3 games against each in-conference team, 2 games against the rest, get rid of 4 game series

Or an 84 game schedule with two divisions of 8 in each conference:
- 4 games against division rivals (28 games)
- 3 games against other division in same conference (24 games)
- 2 games against other conference teams (32 games)

[JB7]

Expansion. One word title, one word answer:

Vancouver.

Missed opportunity. Sounds like they would go to Seattle over Vancouver though.

Just think, if not for VC, Toronto could have suffered the same fate.

False narrative. If you go back and look at attendance records they were always healthy. Vince got attention from Americans, but Americans aren't what keeps a team here, it is ticket buying Canadians.

True. Attendance was never going to fall off in Toronto like it did in Vancouver. But Vince did solidify the interest in the team. While he did draw a lot of US interest, he really put basketball on the map for the average fan in Toronto, and probably took some of the eye balls off the Leafs.

Might it have been different if Vancouver drafted a star like Vince?

[HangTime]

I think Seattle and Vancouver would be a good duo.

They'll be expansion cousin (rivals)
Border rivals
You give Portland two close flights

Minnesota should move east, they are in no man's land in NBA west. Whereas Memphis fits in the south
west.

Vegas should be like meeting spot for NBA events, as a neutral spot.

You could have:
-Draft
-Summer league
-Mid-season tournament
-Play-in tournament for teams with same record
-Potential game 7 if the teams had the same record.

There's more you can do with a neutral spot.

[HangTime]

Missed opportunity. Sounds like they would go to Seattle over Vancouver though.

Just think, if not for VC, Toronto could have suffered the same fate.

False narrative. If you go back and look at attendance records they were always healthy. Vince got attention from Americans, but Americans aren't what keeps a team here, it is ticket buying Canadians.

True. Attendance was never going to fall off in Toronto like it did in Vancouver. But Vince did solidify the interest in the team. While he did draw a lot of US interest, he really put basketball on the map for the average fan in Toronto, and probably took some of the eye balls off the Leafs.

Might it have been different if Vancouver drafted a star like Vince?

If Grizzlies kept Francis, and maybe trade Bibby, it could've done alot.

[ontnut]

I think MIN moves East, and you just add them to the Central division. Memphis I think would be the second choice, third choice is NO. Right now I think MIN has one of, if not the longest travel schedule in the NBA (POR too, but they can't exactly move East). I could also see a move to a 2 division East/West kinda like what the NHL did with 8 teams in each division.

The East/West thing is unlikely to change due to TV schedules and flights.
4 games against division foes = 28 games,
2 games against conference foes = 16 games,
2 games against each West team = 32 games,
76 games total, then you add in the midseason tournament to get up around 80 games.
That would create more rivalries while still giving each team a home/away vs each other. 3 games vs. a team means one team misses a home game so I don't think teams would prefer that.

East 1
NY
Brooklyn
Boston
Philly
Washington
Charlotte
Orlando
Miami
This keeps everyone along the Eastern seabord together, best for timezones.

East 2
Toronto
Cleveland
Detroit
Indiana
Milwaukee
Chicago
Minnesota
Atlanta
Everyone's in a nice little group here, with Atlanta being the farthest away.

West 1
Portland
Sacramento
GS
LAC
LAL
Utah
Vegas/Vancouver
Seattle/Vancouver
Same idea as East 1, basically everyone is along the Western seabord.

West 2
Memphis
NO
OKC
Dallas
SA
Houston
Denver
Suns
This creates the best middle-South concentration of teams to minimize travel.