ty 4191 wrote:Djoker wrote:falcolombardi wrote:my issue with the competition strenght argument is that in the years celtics disnt win, celtics were either a) losing to lakers, b) losing to teams that also beat the lakers, c) losing to teams that lakers beat
like switch them around and imagine the results
80: they lost to sixers, lakers beat the team that beat them, they may make a extra finals but still dont win a title
82: they lost to sixers who again, the lakers did actually beat
83: sixers would have kicked their asses like milwaukee did
85: they lost to lakers
87 they lost to lakers
88: they lost to pistons, lakers did beat the pistons
i dont think there is any year where being in the east instead of west "prevented" celtics from accomplishing more
there is also the fact that celtics did most od their damage when milwaukee was the only other big threat in the conference (inbetween sixers falling off after 83 and pistons exploding in 88)
so while they played in a really rough conference. that conference was only so strong in the early 80's and late 80's when celtics only made 1 finals, east was still strong but less so when celtics started to dominate it
some argue thst it was the celtics improvement what led them to their 4 year finals streak in 84-87, which may be true overall, but the weakening of the conference can also not be understated (but is true that milwaukee was still tougher than lakers west rivals)
The problem with this logic is that there is a fatigue factor. Going through the Bucks or Sixers just to reach the finals is a big deal. If the Celtics didn't face those teams they would be much fresher in the finals perhaps beating the Lakers.
Exactly, Djoker!! The Celtics faced drastically better teams in the playoffs, as the data proves, AND the teams in the East ALSO drained all the energy out of one another (only to have to face the much fresher Lakers in the Finals basically every single year).
Between 1980-1988 Bird's teams were pushed to 7 games seven times in 25 playoff series.
Same years, the Lakers were pushed to 7 games only THREE times, in 26 playoff series, and all three of THOSE occurred in 1988.
sure but is still a hipothetical, is not impossible that if lakers and celtics switched conferences in 82 or 87 the winner of those championships would be different but de have no way of knowing that
what we have is that celtics lost to the same teams lakers beat in those seasons or that lakers beat the celtics