Why the Atlantic Division in the NBA is a Joke

The Atlantic Conference in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is a joke. I looked at the standings today to find the 9-11 Nets in first place. That is an outrage. Sure the Nets have been getting better. But the rest of that division is simply awful. The list of teams in the Atlantic division includes: NY Knicks, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers along with the NJ Nets. That list is awful.

The Knicks have fallen from their once elite status in the NBA and Madison Square Garden is no longer selling out every game which was a given on any night, no matter who the Knicks played. Owner James Dolan is even getting irritated as spending so much money and getting very little results in return. Isaiah Thomas has done an awful job with the team. Starting with hiring Larry Brown and paying him millions of dollars to not coach and go away, Thomas continues to pay players like Jalen Rose who have had their contracts bought out and play for another team. Why do the Knicks continue to vastly overpay for scrubs? I have no idea. The Curry trade looks ok from where I'm standing. The Bulls got two drafts picks and this year's pick hasn't done much. Meanwhile, Curry has showed signs of life by losing weight and grabbing rebounds, not to mention stringing together a series of 20 point games. Heck, the Knicks even beat the Hawks for a change! Thomas is on the bench and I am hopeful that the rookies like Robinson, Frye and Lee will emerge as bonafide players who will be in the starting lineup. Stephon Marbury is a cancer for the team and plays without passion and energy and doesn't seem to care anymore. The Knicks are 9-15

The NJ Nets are an intriguing team because they have the most potential out of any team in the East and they are the runaway favorite to win the Atlantic division. Unless another team in the Atlantic division makes a major trade, the Nets will win the division by at least 5 games. Jason Kidd continues to show why he is an All Star and Hall of Fame player. He went toe-to-toe with the best point guard in the game, Steve Nash and had a triple double in that game against the Phoenix Suns and almost delivered the Nets to victory. Jason Kidd can do it all and has no weakness. His defense is great and has the leadership skills to take the Nets deep into the playoffs. Vince Carter is an All Star and can post 30 plus points on any night. Richard Jefferson is also a very good player and fits perfectly into their team. Nenad Kristic is also getting better with every season and is starting to score more and pull down rebounds. Rookie Marcus Williams from UCONN is also improving and the Nets are finally looking like a playoff team. They Nets are 9-12

The Boston Celtics are a wreck with Paul Pierce leading the way. They have no other scorers on that team and don't play defense. As a result they don't win many games. As of December 13, the Celtics were 8-13.

Toronto is still in rebuilding mode as it has been the past couple of years. The Raptors made the most ridiculous trade in the off-season by trading emerging superstar Charlie Villanueva for point guard TJ Ford. Villanueva was first starting to score big points and his plays excellent defense. He is exactly the kind of player the Raptors are lacking and then they go and trade him away. You find yourself scratching your head. The Raptors are 8-14.

Finally, there is the most talked about team in the NBA and that is the 76ers. The question on every basketball fan's mind is: Where will Allen Iverson be traded? It is no longer a question of if, only a question of when and where. Rumors have speculated that Iverson was going to be traded to the Charlotte Bobcats but Iverson refused to be traded to them despite not having a no trade clause in his contract which very few NBA players have. Charlotte would have been a great fit for Iverson as the Bobcats have the pieces in place with Felton, May, Okeafor and Morrison as emerging young players who all have potential to be all stars. Now the 76ers have to find another trading partner in which they will get close to equal value in return for Iverson and the salaries have to match. Trade talks have involved the Lakers, Bulls, Timberwolves, Celtics, and of course, the Knicks.

Realistically, the Celtics have no shot at getting him. Neither do the Knicks because the 76ers do not want to take Francis or other high price stars from the Knicks along with Channing Frye or Nate Robinson. The Lakers could get Iverson if they trade away a lot to get him. That would involve giving up Andrew Bynum who has emerged as a rising talent and probably Lamar Odom as well as a top draft pick. The Lakers are savoring at the thought of a backcourt with both Kobe and Iverson.

The Bulls probably won't get him, although there is a possibility because the Bulls have a lot of young talent on their team with Gordon, Heinrich and a bunch of draft picks.

The Timberwolves have been mentioned a lot, but they are trigger shy and won't do the deal they need to resurrect their franchise. Pairing Iverson with Kevin Garnett would be impossible to stop and Garnett is just the right type of superstar who is unselfish and shares the ball. The Timberwolves also have the necessary trading pieces starting with guard Randy Foye.

Where Allen Iverson lands is anyone's guess. One thing is certain though: Allen Iverson will get traded and he has been put on the inactive list indefinitely.

I am also a big believer in getting rid of the rule that states that division winners automatically make the playoffs. The best teams in each conference regardless of what division they are in should make the playoffs.