NBA, Adam Silver looking at removing divisions
By Bryan Rose
In a matter of months, NBA Commissioner David Stern will step aside, giving way to Adam Silver.
It’s expected to be a relatively fluid transition considering Silver has been Stern’s shadow for a considerable amount of time, though, it’s possible one of Silver’s first big moves as commissioner would be to remove divisions in the NBA:
"“As David said, the league is in such great shape. I mean, Steve (Kerr) and I were talking basketball the other night out in Brooklyn and [he] raised the same question with me about whether divisions have outlived their usefulness. One thing I have learned from David over all those years…one thing he taught me and all of my colleagues at the NBA is every day we should wake up and take a fresh look at everything we do. And I think divisions fall into that category. Obviously historically, based on geography in terms of weighted schedule and convenience of travel, the goal was to enhance rivalries and I’m not sure if that’s still what’s happening and so that’s something I’m sure that the competition committee, when it next meets, will be taking a fresh look at.”"
There was a time when divisions made sense, but now that the NBA plays a ‘balanced schedule’ (meaning teams no longer play inner-division teams more than league counterparts) there’s really not much of a need for them.
Of course, it’s a move that seems more cosmetic in nature than anything, but divisions really serve no purpose assuming the NBA plans to remain on a balanced schedule.