OT: Why Is The West Better Than The East Year In And Year Out?

[NJCardFan]

I'm looking at the standings and the 7th ranked 76ers have a 17-24 record yet if the playoffs started today, they'd be in. However, in the West, the 8th seed Trailblazers are 23-20. In the East, only 2 1/2 games separate 7-11 but in the West, there is a 2 1/2 game difference between 8-9. And this is every season. Every season, an eastern conference team gets in with a sub-.500 record but a west team with a winning record loses out. Last season, the 8th seed Thunder had the same record as the division winning Celtics in the East. In 2008, the 6th seed 76ers were 41-41 and the 8th seeded team was 39-43 while in the west, the 46-36 Suns missed the playoffs. 2007, the 37-45 Hawks are in and the 48-34 Warriors are out. What gives? If ever there was a league's playoff system that needed fixing it's the NBA.

 

[sunsfan88]

They need to sent some of the crappy teams in East & put em in the West. Then take some of the good teams in the West & put em in the East.

Problem solved.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Just realign the playoffs to the best 16 teams regardless of conference... problem solved.

 

[carey]

Just realign the playoffs to the best 16 teams regardless of conference... problem solved.

Then what's the point of conferences? Just to have rivalries that won't mean anything come playoff time.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Then what's the point of conferences? Just to have rivalries that won't mean anything come playoff time.

Lack of travel time playing teams geographically closer to you.

New rivalries get created all the time. I would argue watching teams that are more competitively balanced than the bottom feeding teams would benefit the league.

Let the division winners have a highest seeds through the first round of the playoffs and allow the rest of the teams to be reordered by record.

 

[chickenhead]

I've always wondered the same thing, since the east travels less, the population is larger east of the Mississippi, and everyone plays indoors. My theory is probably coaching. Popovich, Jackson, and Sloan have been constants. McMillan, Karl, and Adelman have roatated around a bit, but within the conference, along with Nelson, of course. We can debate the merits of these coaches, but in terms of having a middle of the pack that's superior to the east--I think they are the reason.

Why the coaches prefer the west? Maybe like many Americans they prefer smaller cities, more outdoor athletics, and markets less saturated sports markets (the west has more markets where the basketball team is the big fish). Also, there might just be less negative pressure out west compared to the media in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's the weather and the lifestyle. If you're young and rich where would you rather live, Trune or Cleveland - LA or Chicago - Dallas or Philly? They get much better fan support in the cold climes but free agents are more likely to head south or west and less likely to move on once they land in a warm spot. In that regard, they're just like my cats.

Steve

 

[Magnus]

I was thinking the same thing, but I don't know if a change in playoffs would be good. Mixing up the entire playoff system would probably mean 2 teams from the West in the finals every year, and that isn't as interesting as an East-West battle IMO.

The only possible thing I could think of is that if hypothetically the 9th and 10th West seeds get good records, they play a sort of preliminary playoff round with 7th and 8th East teams, and replace those teams in the East part of the playoffs if they beat them. That would be more fair.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I was thinking the same thing, but I don't know if a change in playoffs would be good. Mixing up the entire playoff system would probably mean 2 teams from the West in the finals every year, and that isn't as interesting as an East-West battle IMO.

The only possible thing I could think of is that if hypothetically the 9th and 10th West seeds get good records, they play a sort of preliminary playoff round with 7th and 8th East teams, and replace those teams in the East part of the playoffs if they beat them. That would be more fair.

I don't think that would work. However, you could just have the 6 division winners plus the next ten best records. Let the division winning teams each in turn pick their first round opponent regardless of conference and seed from there. BTW, my way is nuts but it actually sounds like it could be fun and would be further reward for winning your division.

Steve

 

[mojorizen7]

They should just save time and have the Spurs,Lakers,Celtics,Pistons,Heat and the Bulls play in a mini-Finals tournament every year after the reg season is over.

All the other teams with good records can have their own little runner-up tourney. Teams like Phx,Dallas,Portland,Orlando,Cleveland.....

They could also just put the same 14 teams in the Draft lottery each year.

I guess that would eliminate the chance of any parity in the league though.....

 

[NJCardFan]

They should just save time and have the Spurs,Lakers,Celtics,Pistons,Heat and the Bulls play in a mini-Finals tournament every year after the reg season is over.

All the other teams with good records can have their own little runner-up tourney. Teams like Phx,Dallas,Portland,Orlando,Cleveland.....

They could also just put the same 14 teams in the Draft lottery each year.

I guess that would eliminate the chance of any parity in the league though.....

What it all comes down to is that you're right. When all is said and done, the same teams are fighting it out for all the marbles. Did you know that since 1980 only 8 different teams have won the NBA championship? Lakers, Bulls, Celtics, Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, Heat, and 76ers. By contrast, the 70's were much more entertaining with 8 different teams winning in that decade: Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, Warriors, Sonics, Bullets, Blazers, Bucks.