If you could retract 7 teams..

[dannyboy35]

The 1980's is often thought of the best years of the NBA. I myself started watching in the 80's and it was hugely entertaining, mostly because of the amazing talent at the top and the NBA allowing players to have freakin' emotion.
  But I still contend vs. NBA haters that the players today are OVERALL superior than players in the 80's mentioning defense and ball handling. I also always mention  the 80's benefited greatly from having 7 less teams and say, " can you imagine the talent on some teams if you only had 23 teams?"
   What are people's opinions here on that? Oh, and if you could coldly retract seven NBA franchises who would you eliminate?

[Granath]

I'll just retract 4.

Philly
Toronto
NY
Brooklyn

The Cs win the Atlantic every single year! Woot!

[dannyboy35]

My picks would be the Hawks, pelicans, clippers, Kings, Grizzlies, magic, and raptors.

[Grindfather]

OKC, New Orleans, Charlotte, Atlanta, Sacramento, Orlando, Milwaukee

[celticmania]

I'd pick the worst cities

Detroit, Philly, Milwaukee, Memphis, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Cleveland

[Ogaju]

Clippers (if they refuse to move out of LA) Charlotte, Brooklyn, Sacramento, Denver, Milwaukee, Atlanta (reluctantly), Orlando (If the Clippers move out of LA)

[dannyboy35]

I picked the clippers because they already have the lakers, the Hawks because their fans stink, the Kings because enough for California, the Raptors and Grizzlies probably just because I didn't grow up with them, the magic because Miami is already there, and the Prlicans because they named their team the Pelicans.

[KG Living Legend]

 My pick would be Brooklyn, I'd remove them right after we use up all there top 5 picks.

[jambr380]

I picked the clippers because they already have the lakers, the Hawks because their fans stink, the Kings because enough for California, the Raptors and Grizzlies probably just because I didn't grow up with them, the magic because Miami is already there, and the Prlicans because they named their team the Pelicans.

Orlando is about 250 miles from Miami. Tampa and Orlando can and should share a market area (although I think the Jags would be extremely successful in Orlando), but Miami is farther away from Orlando than Boston is from NY. They are also very devoted fans and much better than the fairweather Miami fans.

As for the seven teams - off the top of my head, I would say:  New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, OKC, Detroit, Sacramento and Milwaukee. Move the Clippers to SD or Seattle.

[knuckleballer]

I picked the clippers because they already have the lakers, the Hawks because their fans stink, the Kings because enough for California, the Raptors and Grizzlies probably just because I didn't grow up with them, the magic because Miami is already there, and the Prlicans because they named their team the Pelicans.

I'm good with that except I'd get rid of the Lakers and leave LA the Clippers.

[mikestar]

Orlando
Sacto
OKC
Memphis
Utah
Brooklyn

I'd stop there.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I'd eliminate:

Charlotte
Orlando
New Orleans
Clippers
Nets
Memphis
Atlanta

I'd also move the Thunder back to Seattle and switch them back to the SuperSonics, rename the Utah Jazz the Utah Grizzlies (Utah has no grizzlies now, but used to; or rename them to something else that actually has to do with the state), and rename the Lakers to something more geographically appropriate.

[jay]

Sacramento


Then add Seattle, Omaha, and either Columbus or Nashville.

32 teams in 8 divisions. 

[Moranis]

New Orleans and Charlotte are the only teams the league doesn't really need.0