The Resurgence of the Eastern Conference
So it's playoff time again, and this year's playoffs look like they'll be one of the most even and exciting in quite a while. This year, IMO, has finally seen the resurgence of the East. Sure, last year we had some great teams in the East (notably Indiana & Detroit), but this year boasts even greater parity. For example, last year the worst team in the West (the Clippers) would have finished tied with Atlanta for fourth worst in the East. That is, the three worst teams in the League hailed from the East. Last year the Eastern Conference teams averaged a 37-45 record, while the West averaged the opposite: 45-37. An average West team was worth another 8 wins than an average East team.
This year, however, the lopsidedness has regressed a bit. The average East team record this season was 39-43, while the average West team was 43-39, netting a difference of only 4 games as opposed to 8. Highlighting this improvement is that fact that entry into the Eastern Conference playoffs is much more stringent this year than last. Last year the 8th seed were the lowly Boston Celtics with a 44% winning record (36-46). This year, that type of record in the East would put you tied with Orlando for the #10 spot. The #8 spot this year - New Jersey (and Cleveland, in the #9 spot) - had a +500 record at 42-40. Had the Nets had this same record last year they would have been seeded fourth. (Incidentally, the Nets' record last year was 47-35, winning them their division.)
Why the change in disparity between the East and West? Here are a couple of potential reasons:
- Shaq's move to the East - with the addition of Shaq and the continued maturation of Wade, the Heat improved from 42-40 last year to 59-23 this year.
- New Orlean's Move to the West - New Orleans, last year, was an Eastern Conference team, but was scuttled to the West this year as the Bobcat's took their place in the East. Stuck in a tougher division and plauged by injuries, the Hornets fell from a record of 41-41 last year to 18-64 this year - ouch! (Of course, New Orlean's overall effect on the East vs. West rankings is mitigated by their Eastern replacement's identical 18-64 record.)
- The Stumbling West - a number of typically strong Western Conference teams this year sufferred records far worse than they were used to. The Lakers ended up in the bottom of their division, sporting a 34-48 post-Shaq record. The T-Wolves also stunk it up, falling from a Western Conference best record of 58-24 last year to a lottery-bound 44-38 this year. Utah, which looked to have a bright future at the start of this season, sufferred some injuries and unhappy players, landing them with the fourth worst record in the leage at 26-56. Portland was a big disappointment as well.
- The Surging East - a number of craptacular teams in the East really stepped it up this year, such as the Bulls (first playoff berth since MJ left town) and Wizards. Also considering “the brawl“ and it's cost on Indiana's rotation and moral, the Pacers outshined their mid-season expectations, finishing with a respectable 44-38.
In the end, this all sums up to an exciting playoffs from both conferences.