The NBA last week announced it would seed the conference playoffs based solely on record. The division champions would not longer get their guarantee of a top four seed (and, I would imagine the only guarantee they get now is a playoff berth although that appears not to be the case).
For many, it was the “about time” final nail in the coffin of an idea that had died a long time ago — with the advent of private jets, national broadcasts and conference imbalance and what not. Division have long not mattered, a fake goal to strive for that held really very little value in the grand scheme of things to make and advance in the Playoffs.