RealGM

Man, our division is getting sadder by the year. The absolute worst in the league. The Celtics are so far ahead of the pack that rather then this making me happy it just makes me yearn for some healthy competition. Even during the lowly post-Reggie Lewis pre-Jim O'Brien Celtics days the rest of the conference was competitive -- there were always at least 3-4 teams above .500. Now we're the only one...

The 3 worst teams in the conference - The pathetic Nets and once proud Sixers and Knicks are also 3 of the 5 worst teams in the league and may not make the playoffs. The remaining team, the defenseless Raptors will probably be fighting for a 7-8 seed and despite their offensive weapons couldn't defend a D-League team. sad.

I miss Pierce-Iverson; Pierce-Kidd; Pierce-Carter, which is not to say I miss the level the Celtics played at back then... Just inter-division competition. Not to mention the old 80's Sixers battles with Dr. J, Moses and later Barkley and the Bernard King lead Knicks battles. Good stuff. More parity - better basketball.

So right you are Cyclical!

It has to be difficult for Rivers to keep the Celtics focused on winning when they lead this division so easily...

Really.... 10 games over .500 will surely win the division...perhaps even five?

It would be so easy to just coast along to the playoffs without putting forth much effort...

It also has to be almost impossible to avoid distractions and developing some bad habits when all you have to really do is "mail it in" in order to win your division....JMO

I don't really care since I think the C's have to focus on HCA throughout the playoffs. I think this not only helps with HCA but with the refs who will treat the C's with extra respect. I firmly believe you need star power to win in the NBA and that HCA will let the refs know we still got it..

A division's just a division. Winning and competing in the conference is what's really important.

we're set right now to win the division by 30 games.

Boston: 66-16
Toronto: 36-46
New York: 26-56
Philadelphia: 20-62
New Jersey: 8-74

If the teams maintain the same win percentages the rest of the season.

Zin5 wrote:A division's just a division. Winning and competing in the conference is what's really important.

Agreed. I never looked at teams within the division as "rivals". It's not like the NFL where you play more than a third of your games against division opponents.