Ranking the NBA's 6 divisions for the 2021-22 season from strongest to weakest

#4 Southeast Division (East) combined record:169-191

Atlanta on top is just what the NBA needs

Trae Young is becoming a face of the NBA-type player. He will keep the Hawks in contention singlehandedly. Atlanta is developing into a serious contender, and Philly's mishap has become their shot to move up in the league. Miami had a down season after losing to the Lakers in the Finals a season ago, yet there is no shot the Heat will be content with a second-place slot in their own division. The Washington Wizards have to address so many issues in their front office as well as with personnel, and in my estimation, the Charlotte Hornets will be the surprise of this division in 2021-22.

#5 Southwest Division (West) combined record: 161-199

Dallas looks to provide Luka with help this season

This division is loaded with star power. Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson will be names the league will feature for the foreseeable future. The problem is, with starpower also comes a lack of team success. Other than Dallas, Memphis was the only team .500 or better. The San Antonio Spurs, once dynastic in the NBA, are playing out the Greg Popovich string it seems, and New Orleans should accept Zion's challenge to get better or he's out of there. You will see a lot of high scoring games in this division, and Pop is the only coach with a defensive mindset to slow down the explosive numbers these teams will put up.

# 6 Central Division (East) combined record: 153-207

The Milwaukee Bucks are NBA champs

As steady as the NBA champion Bucks have been all season, the same cannot be said for the rest of the Central Division. The Indiana Pacers, at 34-38 are the only other team within the division to have a better than .500 record. The irony here is that the NBA champions are also in this division, and rarely is it said that the Bucks are weak because of their division competition. With the moves Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit made this offseason, could we see a shift and somehow the Central Division hits the top spot?

After leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the franchise’s first NBA championship in 50 years, coach Mike Budenholzer has agreed on a three-year contract extension, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 25, 2021