Mark Cuban wants to throw out everything your second grade teacher taught you about geography — all to assist a plan to fix the gap in quality between the NBA's Eastern and Western Conferences — by realigning eight teams.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, in the Dallas Mavericks owner's plan, the Mavs, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans would move to the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks would move to the West.
"It's not like it'd be the first time we've ever realigned," Cuban said while working out before Wednesday's home game against the New York Knicks. "It's happened many times before, so there's precedent and I just think it shakes things up and makes things interesting."
Just about any Western Conference owner wouldn't mind swapping conferences — especially when the East is as soft as ever.
So is Cuban trying to make it easier for his Mavs by padding it with Knicks and 76ers games?
Not when he proposes sending perennial winners, the Spurs, and the up-and-coming Rockets and Pelicans with him.
But Cuban's plan does make some sense. The West has had a winning record against the East in 14 of the past 15 seasons, according to John Schuhmann of NBA.com, and change doesn't seem to be on the horizon. "After an 18-3 week, the West is an incredible 45-19 against the East this season," Schuhmann wrote on Nov. 24.
Cuban claims he has not discussed his idea with the commissioner or anyone else in the NBA.
"I did the trial close right here," said Cuban. "Then it'll turn into headline porn and then we'll see the response."