NBA Eastern Conference

• wildcats20

  

  Why is the East year in and year out so much worse than the West??
  
  I think the top 4 teams in the East are on par with the top 4 in the West(maybe only top 3 in each); but after that the East drops off a cliff.
• mallymal614

  It's simple. Cold weather. If you had a choice to spend your millions would it be at a place at Detorit/Philly or sunny Phoenix/California?
  
  lol not sure if that's the real reason but I think it certainly plays a part
• krazie45

  

  wildcats20 wrote: Why is the East year in and year out so much worse than the West??
  
  I think the top 4 teams in the East are on par with the top 4 in the West(maybe only top 3 in each); but after that the East drops off a cliff.

  I disagree with that statement. Top to bottom, the West is probably better, however I would take the top 4 of the East over the top 4 in the west any day. In the East you've got the Cavs, Magic, Celtics, and Hawks. I think that three of those teams are legit title contenders, and the Hawks are a very good team but just a step below.
  
  Now in the West you've got the Lakers, Nuggets, Jazz, and Mavs. The Lakers, IMO, are really the only legit title contender. The Nuggets are starting to make a case this year for taking that next leap, however I just don't see it quite yet. I don't see any teams in the West beating the Lakers in a 7 game series, whereas I can see any of the big 3 in the East being in the Finals (Hell they've been the EC rep in the last 3 finals!). The Jazz fall under that Hawks-level of being a very good team but I feel that they are just a bit below the Nuggets. The Mavs are good but I don't see them as being that close to an elite team. If they had that same roster 3-5 years ago, then yea....but they don't have what it takes to get it done now. Teams 5-16, definitely better in the West. I think it comes down to the East playoff teams having an easier 1st round series, but the West has an easier 2nd round/Conference final.
• Al Bundy

  These things seem to go in cycles. The West is deeper now, but the East was deeper in the 2 decades before that. If the East keeps many of the top young free agents, you could see it swing back the other way in the next few years.
• wes_mantooth

  

  I think the East is better at the top, but the west is much deeper. Everything goes in cycles, so I figure in a few years it will be the opposite.
• hoops23

  

  It wasn't always like this.. These things go in cycles where one conference is better and usually last for a few years.. Not too long ago, the East was definitely better than the West...
  
  Now, the East is slowly shifting back. All 8 playoff teams are back to being .500 or better.
• wildcats20

  

  LTrain23 wrote: It wasn't always like this.. These things go in cycles where one conference is better and usually last for a few years.. Not too long ago, the East was definitely better than the West...
  
  Now, the East is slowly shifting back. All 8 playoff teams are back to being .500 or better.

  Yeah, I realize they go in cycles. BUT from top to bottom when was the last time the East was better than the West? I'm gonna go with the Jordan era.
• hoops23

  

  I'd have to look it up.. You're probably right.
  
  However, I don't care. Every team in the East ('cept Cleveland) could go 0-81 for all I care
• wildcats20

  

  I'm not even sure why I quoted you lol.
• wes_mantooth

  

  Yeah, I would say that the Jordan Era is a fair assessment.
  
  You could see a shift after this summer, depending on where all these free agents end up.
• KnightXC1

  

  The West has been better top to bottom pretty much since 00 when the Lakers won with their first title with Kobe/Shaq. Just kind of how it is. It goes in spurts since the East was much better for the most part in 90's.
• sleeper

  

  The East had a winning record against the West last season. The west has a lot of really bad teams after the top 8 or so, so their records are overinflated.
  
  East = West, but go ahead and believe whatever the media shove down your throat.
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  mallymal614 wrote: It's simple. Cold weather. If you had a choice to spend your millions would it be at a place at Detorit/Philly or sunny Phoenix/California?
  
  lol not sure if that's the real reason but I think it certainly plays a part

  I agree. It has something to do with money (taxes) and living conditions. Bank on it.
• hoops23

  

  Strapping Young Lad wrote:

  mallymal614 wrote: It's simple. Cold weather. If you had a choice to spend your millions would it be at a place at Detorit/Philly or sunny Phoenix/California?
  
  lol not sure if that's the real reason but I think it certainly plays a part

  I agree. It has something to do with money (taxes) and living conditions. Bank on it.

  Right.. Because Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, etc are bad places to live? lol.
  
  By the way, Phoenix sucks. The Clippers suck.. So theory ='s trash.
• Pick6

  

  Phoenix sucks?
• hoops23

  

  Pick6 wrote: Phoenix sucks?

  Not exactly.. I just mean they aren't going anywhere... Sure, they may make the playoffs, but they'll be exited out in the 1st round again.. And what free agents have truly signed with Phoenix? None. Most of their good players were either drafted or traded for.
• Lovejoy1984

  

  Nash is the only FA that signed in Phoenix that I can think of.
• hoops23

  

  Damn.. Yeah he did.. For some reason I thought Dallas traded him.
• Lovejoy1984

  

  LTrain23 wrote: Damn.. Yeah he did.. For some reason I thought Dallas traded him.

  They probably worked out a sign and trade after the fact, kinda like the Magic did with the Raptors, but your point is still valid, Robert Sarver is a pretty bad owner, so players don't flock to play for him.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  East vs. West this year:
  
  West 180 wins
  East 144 wins
  
  The West has a few of the worst teams in the league, but the East fills up most of the middle and the rest of the bottom.
• Footwedge

  wildcats20 wrote:

  LTrain23 wrote: It wasn't always like this.. These things go in cycles where one conference is better and usually last for a few years.. Not too long ago, the East was definitely better than the West...
  
  Now, the East is slowly shifting back. All 8 playoff teams are back to being .500 or better.

  Yeah, I realize they go in cycles. BUT from top to bottom when was the last time the East was better than the West? I'm gonna go with the Jordan era.

  The East had a better winning percentage overall last year versus the West. I agree though, last year was an anomalie.
• Sage

  

  Compare the playoff teams last year, this year, or for the last decade. The West runs shit.