In The End, The Atlantic Wasn't The Worst Division Of All Time

Here's how the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division stood, a couple weeks into this season:

  1. Toronto Raptors (6-10, .375)
  2. Boston Celtics (7-12, .368)
  3. Philadelphia 76ers (6-12, .333)
  4. Brooklyn Nets (5-12, .294)
  5. New York Knicks (3-13, .189)

The Atlantic had a .314 winning percentage overall, on pace to become the worst division of all time, across all major sports.

It wasn't going to last, and it didn't. The Raptors went 42-24 to close the season, and set a new record for franchise wins. The Nets went 39-26 to easily finish above .500, and even the Knicks got decent, going 34-32 after their terrible start. Only the Celtics and 76ers held up their ends of the bargain; on pace to win 30 and 27 respectively, they end with 25 and 19.

The Atlantic ends the 2013-14 season with 173 wins and a .422 winning percentage. It was the worst division in the NBA this season, but just the tenth-worst division in NBA history. The Western Conference's Southwest Division (249 wins, .607) finished as the fourth-best.