Film & TV Someone Explain Division Rankings in the NBA

[Eric]

I used to understand it, but they must have changed it this year and I cannot figure it out.

Here are the current standings in the Eastern Conference:

ATLANTIC
Philadelphia (3) 18 - 20
Boston (8) 18 - 20
New York 17 - 21
Toronto 17 - 23
New Jersey 14 - 24

CENTRAL
Cleveland (2) 23 - 14
Detroit (4) 23 - 15
Indiana (7) 19 - 18
Chicago 17 - 19
Milwaukee 13 - 24

SOUTHEAST
Miami (1) 29 - 11
Washington (5) 22 - 15
Orlando (6) 21 - 16
Charlotte 8 -27
Atlanta 7 - 29

So here's what I don't understand...how is a team that has a lower ranking than Washington ranked higher?! No team in the Atlantic should even be ranked. It's pathetic! Washington (22 - 15) is 5th, but Philly (18 - 20) is 3rd? This makes no sense to me. Washington should be 4th, Detroit should be 3rd.

I even thought that maybe they had it so each division must have a ranked team in the division, but it still wouldn't make sense because the Atlantic only has 2 teams ranked.

Someone explain this shit.

 

[AnarchistFunk]

the league leaders for each division are automatically ranked one through 3, thus Philly being ranked 3rd overall, cuz they are the 3rd best division leader, then after the 3 leaders are out of the way its the best teams leftover from all divisions

 

[Story]

^^^

right, division leaders are sort of their own entity, the divions leaders are seeded by record, then the rest sort out on their records..