[AderitoParticipant]

The west has been the FAR superior conference as a whole for a long time now. The east hasn’t even come close to being as good as the east for at least 10 years. Why is that?

The west has better run franchises?
Better competition within the conference tends to make other players/teams better?
As a whole warmer climate cities resulting in better fa signings?
West teams that win 35 games and would feast on the east are getting top 8 picks leading to an even better team?

Will the east ever get to the point of being better than the west from top to bottom again?

[ky30Participant]

Same thing was in 90s
East: Bulls VS Pacers
West: Utah, Houston, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix

[ky30Participant]

Same thing was in 90s
East: Bulls VS Pacers
West: Utah, Houston, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix

[ropeParticipant]

The East used to be better. I think it is cyclical. While you are down, you get better draft picks and that should eventually pay off. You are also probably on to something when it comes to weather. For instance, Detroit has a notoriously bad time getting top tier free agents. Josh Smith came here because Joe Dumars dwarfed other offers for him and no other reason. If cold weather teams have to overpay to get free agents, it has an effect up and down the roster.

[AderitoParticipant]

I don’t remember when the East was better than the west in terms of good teams or talent players… I started to watch the NBA in 2000 so i don’t remember the EAST being better in a single season. So can you say when the East was better because if we go to;

-The 90’s the best team were Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks from the East, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle Supersonics from the West….

-The 80’s the best team were Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers from the East, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers,

[ropeParticipant]

I started to watch the NBA in the early 1970’s. Trust me, it has gone back and forth over the modern NBA era.

[llperez]

 it was close in the 80’s, it was close in the 90’s. but since the bulls dismantled in 98, it hasnt been close at all. Thats a 16 year stretch of lopsidedness. Thatrs far too long to suggest it goes back and forth. And while the east has won some titles in that span, it doesnt change the fact that top to bottom, there is a very big gap that doesnt seem to be changing at all.

[llperez]

 it was close in the 80’s, it was close in the 90’s. but since the bulls dismantled in 98, it hasnt been close at all. Thats a 16 year stretch of lopsidedness. Thatrs far too long to suggest it goes back and forth. And while the east has won some titles in that span, it doesnt change the fact that top to bottom, there is a very big gap that doesnt seem to be changing at all.

[ropeParticipant]

I started to watch the NBA in the early 1970’s. Trust me, it has gone back and forth over the modern NBA era.

[AderitoParticipant]

I don’t remember when the East was better than the west in terms of good teams or talent players… I started to watch the NBA in 2000 so i don’t remember the EAST being better in a single season. So can you say when the East was better because if we go to;

-The 90’s the best team were Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks from the East, Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Seattle Supersonics from the West….

-The 80’s the best team were Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers from the East, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers,

[ropeParticipant]

The East used to be better. I think it is cyclical. While you are down, you get better draft picks and that should eventually pay off. You are also probably on to something when it comes to weather. For instance, Detroit has a notoriously bad time getting top tier free agents. Josh Smith came here because Joe Dumars dwarfed other offers for him and no other reason. If cold weather teams have to overpay to get free agents, it has an effect up and down the roster.

[prophetmeirParticipant]

Easy lets just say portland does not make the playoffs. They will be a lottery team just like philly, despite them havings way better players than some  playoff teams on the east. That gives them a lottery talent draft player to an already superior team. 

[thricethefunParticipant]

We are talking about what the 14th pick in that case?  Don’t think that kind of player changes the strength of each conference.

[thricethefunParticipant]

We are talking about what the 14th pick in that case?  Don’t think that kind of player changes the strength of each conference.

[prophetmeirParticipant]

Point is they are still getting a quality player, regardless only 14th if they just miss the playoffs. Over the years good players have been picked in the 9-14 range

[prophetmeirParticipant]

Point is they are still getting a quality player, regardless only 14th if they just miss the playoffs. Over the years good players have been picked in the 9-14 range

[prophetmeirParticipant]

Easy lets just say portland does not make the playoffs. They will be a lottery team just like philly, despite them havings way better players than some  playoff teams on the east. That gives them a lottery talent draft player to an already superior team. 

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 It would be different if the west had one the last 10 championships but they haven’t 

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

 It would be different if the west had one the last 10 championships but they haven’t 

[ropeParticipant]

Back to the original post – Your list of reasons why the West is better now is a pretty good one. I’d add a couple – the West has been more open to young and innovative GM’s, who have done a better job analyzing players and filling out their rosters accordingly. The East, on the other hand, has been saddled with several really awful owners. James Dolan anyone? With a salary cap you would think it would even the playing field, but the fact is it makes harder to bounce back from your mistakes.

[ropeParticipant]

Back to the original post – Your list of reasons why the West is better now is a pretty good one. I’d add a couple – the West has been more open to young and innovative GM’s, who have done a better job analyzing players and filling out their rosters accordingly. The East, on the other hand, has been saddled with several really awful owners. James Dolan anyone? With a salary cap you would think it would even the playing field, but the fact is it makes harder to bounce back from your mistakes.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Two reasons is the mismanagement of the Knicks by Dolan and the skillful management by the Spurs owner (who I don’t know the name of).  The Knicks are able to attract free agents and they can easily afford anything that the NBA salary cap can allow them to pay. They could have had the Nets payroll last season and they still would have made a profit. They’ve squandered this opportunity for decades and they will continue to do so probably until Dolan gets too old to care anymore enough to meddle (that will probably be in about 15 to 20 years). This is enough to shift the whole balance because the Knicks should be like the Lakers where they make the finals at least once or twice a decade. 

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Two reasons is the mismanagement of the Knicks by Dolan and the skillful management by the Spurs owner (who I don’t know the name of).  The Knicks are able to attract free agents and they can easily afford anything that the NBA salary cap can allow them to pay. They could have had the Nets payroll last season and they still would have made a profit. They’ve squandered this opportunity for decades and they will continue to do so probably until Dolan gets too old to care anymore enough to meddle (that will probably be in about 15 to 20 years). This is enough to shift the whole balance because the Knicks should be like the Lakers where they make the finals at least once or twice a decade. 

[BogDon_KryptParticipant]

 4 syllables – hasheem thabeet 

[BogDon_KryptParticipant]

 4 syllables – hasheem thabeet 

[AderitoParticipant]

So far the results of the games between teams of the two conference means a lot. Take a Look:

Orlando Magic 84 x 101 New Orleans Pelicans
Detroit Pistons 79 x 89 Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons 91 x 97 Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies 97 x 89 Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls 106 x 105 Minnesota Timberwolves
Boston Celtics 90 x 104 Houston Rockets
Charlotte Hornets 91×100 New Orleans Pelicans
Cleveland Cavaliers 82×101 Portland Trailblazers
Oklahoma City Thunder 88 x 100 Toronto Raptors
Houston Rockets 108 x 91 Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves 98 x 91 Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers 100 x 102 Utah Jazz
Atlanta Hawks 92 x 94 San Antonio Spurs
Houston Rockets 104 x 93 Philadelphia 76ers
Oklahoma City Thunder 85 x 116 Brooklyn Nets
Boston Celtics 113 x 118 Dallas Mavericks

West 13 x 3 East

[AderitoParticipant]

So far the results of the games between teams of the two conference means a lot. Take a Look:

Orlando Magic 84 x 101 New Orleans Pelicans
Detroit Pistons 79 x 89 Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons 91 x 97 Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies 97 x 89 Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls 106 x 105 Minnesota Timberwolves
Boston Celtics 90 x 104 Houston Rockets
Charlotte Hornets 91×100 New Orleans Pelicans
Cleveland Cavaliers 82×101 Portland Trailblazers
Oklahoma City Thunder 88 x 100 Toronto Raptors
Houston Rockets 108 x 91 Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves 98 x 91 Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers 100 x 102 Utah Jazz
Atlanta Hawks 92 x 94 San Antonio Spurs
Houston Rockets 104 x 93 Philadelphia 76ers
Oklahoma City Thunder 85 x 116 Brooklyn Nets
Boston Celtics 113 x 118 Dallas Mavericks

West 13 x 3 East

[Author]

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