What is the Best Division in the NBA?

Even though they may root against each other, sports teams can sometimes root for the fellow teams in their division to prove and brag to the rest of the league that they are in the best division of their sport. For the NBA, there are six divisions - three in the Western Conference and three in the Eastern Conference. Which of these six divisions gets bragging rights as the best in the league? Here are the rankings -

Number Six: Atlantic (Eastern) - Yes, this is the home to the Boston Celtics. Still, should one team outweigh the rest? The Celtics will win this division by double digit games. The rest of the teams just don't compare. The New Jersey are the second best team in this division. They will probably make the playoffs, but will slip in as a six to eight seed. The Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers were both expected to make the playoffs, but their disappointing performances have left them looking from the outside in. The fifth team, the New York Knicks, is one of the joke teams of the league. With their roster littered with overpaid wash-ups, they are trying to begin a process in which they land LeBron James when his contract expires. This division, if they played up to par, could be one of the top three, but at the moment, they are the worst division.

Number Five: Central (Eastern) - Boy, what happened? Cleveland seems to have already won this division just twenty games into the year. Detroit's trade of Billups for Iverson was a questionable trade. For the first fifteen games after this trade, the Pistons were 7-8. The Pistons remind me of the 2007 Dallas Mavericks - they realized that they were good but not good enough to win a championship so they pulled a trade that will eventually hurt them. As for the rest of the conference, Chicago has a good young player in Rose, but still need to form their team around him. The Milwaukee Bucks seem to be going nowhere, and the Indiana Pacers are in the same boat. The Pacers have a couple of impressive wins, however.

Number Four: Pacific (Western) - Overall, as a whole, this division is weak. The Lakers will win this division by at least fifteen games. Phoenix, after making the Shaq for Marion trade, seemed to fall apart. Their points per game have fallen and their turnover rate has risen, both of which prove their run-and-gun style isn't fit for an elderly Shaq. This team use to be contenders, but now can only hope to win a playoff series. The Golden State Warriors played a phenomenal series against the Mavericks a few years ago, but since then have been a disappointment. They picked up Crawford from the Knicks which may push them to finish second in the division, but they will make little to no noise in the playoffs. Sacramento and Los Angeles Clippers are on nobody's radar and will not be a factor for a while.

Number Three: Southeast (Eastern) - This league is better than their records present. The reason this placement is for one team - the Miami Heat. This team, as the season progresses, will become better. With Dwayne Wade leading this team and with help from Marion and Beasley, I expect them to finish in front of the Atlanta Hawks, who seem to the surprise of the year. I compare this team to the Tampa Bay Rays - this young team can go far in the playoffs because their youth will prove to be too much. I don't see them winning the conference, but I see them advancing into the second round if placed in certain series. The Orlando Magic will win this conference and with Dwight Howard putting up monster numbers, this team will only improve, too. Charlotte and Washington provide nothing too much to talk about.

Number Two: Northwest (Western) - Maybe the most surprising division, the Northwest are the second best. Led by Portland, Denver, and Utah, all three teams have the potential to make noise in the playoffs. Portland, with their youth, is one of the most improved teams in the league. Still, with their inexperience, I don't see them going too deep in the playoffs yet. Denver and Utah have a better shot at advancing through the series. Minnesota and Oklahoma City are two of the worst teams, but this division will send three teams to the playoffs.

Number One: Southwest (Western) - The best division, although it may be represented by their records, is the southwest division. The top two teams are the Houston Rockets, led by Yao and McGrady, and the New Orleans Hornets, led by Chris Paul. With the new addition of Ron Artest, this division has three potential Defensive Players of the Year, with Artest, Tim Duncan, and Bruce Bowen. Duncan and Bowen, players for the Spurs, got off to a slow start due to injuries. The Spurs, who are the best team of the decade, can bounce back and be a contender even if they are an eight seed. The Dallas Mavericks also have the potential to slip into the playoffs. If they can, expect the Southwest division to send four teams to the playoffs, including the wild card. While I don't expect a champion to come out of this division, they will send the best group of teams to the playoffs.