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The NBA announced Tuesday that beginning this season, playoff teams will be seeded in what this blogger likes to call "the right way," with the best eight teams in each conference being placed simply, first through eighth.
Previously, playoff teams were ranked based on their finish in their division. Each division winner was guaranteed a top 4 spot--which caused a lot of ruckus in last season's playoff seeding, and ultimately determined that the Clippers would play the Spurs in the first round.
In some wonky world where things went the Clippers way, if the seeding system had changed before last season's playoffs, the good guys would've faced the Trail Blazers. Portland was seeded fourth as a prize for winning the Northwest division, but would've finished sixth under the new ruleset, and fallen right into the Clippers clutches. Presumably.
So farewell, relevancy of NBA divisions & division titles. At least you gave us a first-round series of epic proportions before you hit the road. Alas, let us reminisce.