If Detriot and Boston were in the Western Conference

[Liqourish]

Since '04, Detroit has the best winning percentage against the West than any other Eastern team. If the Piston broadcasters are correct, it's 92-47 (.662), the next closest is Indiana at 72-70 (.507). This isn't just a one year thing, they have paired fairly well against the West the last 4-5 years.

In fact, I would go out on a limb and claim that the Pistons would be a better team in the West because they wouldn't be able to sleepwalk through the regular season, which they are famous for.

[RUSSDUCK]

Are most of you forgetting that the Piston's and Celt's play in the eastern conference? They are basically padding their own win totals. Put the Spurs, Suns, or Utah over there an thats 60 plus wins yearly.

1. Spurs
2. Lakers
3. Suns
4. Detroit
5. Utah
6. Dallas
7. Celtics
8. New Orleans.

[Dtown84]

Are most of you forgetting that the Piston's and Celt's play in the eastern conference? They are basically padding their own win totals. Put the Spurs, Suns, or Utah over there an thats 60 plus wins yearly.

1. Spurs
2. Lakers
3. Suns
4. Detroit
5. Utah
6. Dallas
7. Celtics
8. New Orleans.

So I'm taking it you're not one of those types who puts much stock in actual records vs the West huh? Hell if anyone is padding their records vs the east it's the Suns.

Celtics 18-3
Pistons 14-7
Suns 16-15

[Liqourish]

Are most of you forgetting that the Piston's and Celt's play in the eastern conference? They are basically padding their own win totals. Put the Spurs, Suns, or Utah over there an thats 60 plus wins yearly.

1. Spurs
2. Lakers
3. Suns
4. Detroit
5. Utah
6. Dallas
7. Celtics
8. New Orleans.

That would be fun, if it were true, but the Pistons have a .667 winning percentage against the West and still haven't played the Wolves (2 victories to pad their totals). They still have home games against the Spurs (beat them on the road), Suns (beat them on the road), Hornets (beat them on the road), Nuggets (beat them on the road), Sonics (beat them on the road) and Wolves where they are 22-5.

[MagicalMan]

-= original quote snipped =-

That makes sense. Boston beats the Lakers twice, the Spurs without Garnett, they split with Detroit, beat Houston, and beat Dallas without Garnett....OBVIOUSLY they would be behind all of those teams.

Orlando beat Boston 2 of 3 times this year and split with Detroit 2-2. Obviously they shouldnt even be mentioned.

[Muzzleshot]

When comparing Detroit and Boston's record agianst the west you need to consider that Boston still has a 5 game road trip that inlcudes the Texas triangle followed by a game agianst New Orleans.

You'll get a more accurate reading at the end of the season.

[Happyfoosball]

They wouldn't miss a beat. They are the two top teams in the NBA. 14-7 is a good record vs the West, and isn't Boston practically undefeated vs the West?

[Diaper Dandy]

-= original quote snipped =-



That would be fun, if it were true, but the Pistons have a .667 winning percentage against the West and still haven't played the Wolves (2 victories to pad their totals). They still have home games against the Spurs (beat them on the road), Suns (beat them on the road), Hornets (beat them on the road), Nuggets (beat them on the road), Sonics (beat them on the road) and Wolves where they are 22-5.

Wow, you served that up nasty. Other dude probably just logged off and went for a walk outside or something.

[Scrub Sura]

Are most of you forgetting that the Piston's and Celt's play in the eastern conference? They are basically padding their own win totals. Put the Spurs, Suns, or Utah over there an thats 60 plus wins yearly.

The same can be said about the Lakers and the Western Conference in the 80's.

Since you really just had to go there..

[hermes]

if they were in the west, no one would talk about the east at all

[RIPskaterdude]

That would be fun, if it were true, but the Pistons have a .667 winning percentage against the West and still haven't played the Wolves (2 victories to pad their totals). They still have home games against the Spurs (beat them on the road), Suns (beat them on the road), Hornets (beat them on the road), Nuggets (beat them on the road), Sonics (beat them on the road) and Wolves where they are 22-5.

And yet they got swept by the Sacramento Kings

[AWalkerREMIX]

-= original quote snipped =-



Orlando beat Boston 2 of 3 times this year and split with Detroit 2-2. Obviously they shouldnt even be mentioned.

I didn't create the topic. If you are that hurt by it, feel free to add them into your standings....

[at87on]

There's a difference between playing the western conference twice a year than 3-4 times a year. Celtics have had the benefit of playing the western "powers" at home and the weak sisters on the road so far.

When they make the Texas 3 step, New Orleans.. It'll be significantly different.

[conleyorbust]

There's a difference between playing the western conference twice a year than 3-4 times a year. Celtics have had the benefit of playing the western "powers" at home and the weak sisters on the road so far.

When they make the Texas 3 step, New Orleans.. It'll be significantly different.

So the Cs are 18-3 against the west now.

They have @Mem, Seattle, Utah, @SA, @Houston, @Dallas, @NOH, PHX, NOH. Thats all they have left against the west. So assuming they lost all of them, they'd still be .600 against the west. More realistically, if they lost half (or a little more than half since there are an odd number) they'd be 22-8 which would plant them firmly at the top of the standings.

I just can't comprehend these people that put the Celtics at 6 or 7 in the west.

[Liqourish]

-= original quote snipped =-
And yet they got swept by the Sacramento Kings

They also got swept by the Bulls thus far, 0-3.

The Pistons are really racking up wins in the terrible East when they lose to lottery bound teams like Chicago 3 times, New York and Milwaukee. Hell if they were in the West, they would have only had to play Chicago twice.

But at least they made up for those five losses and then some by beating the Lakers, Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Nuggets, Rockets, Blazers, Hornets, and Warriors.

[Frosty]

-= original quote snipped =-


I just can't comprehend these people that put the Celtics at 6 or 7 in the west.

It's because the west homers have firmly bought into the whole Leastern conference thing. There can't possibly be a good team in the East.

Funny how the Lakers in the eighties had the same situation but no one discredits them for it.

Celtics have flat out crushed the West. I hear people suggest it's home court advantage so I guess the West teams just aren't good road teams. And the Celts have won at Detroit, LA and Utah.

[MalReyn]

Totally unscientific pure statistical analysis...

Boston's winning percentage against East: 0.735 (34 games)
Against West: 0.857 (21 games)

Detroit's winning percentage against East: 0.778 (36 games)
Against West: 0.667 (21 games)

Swapping the quantity of games played against Eastern/Western conference foes, and keeping the same conference winning percentage (always rounding down to another game lost, since it's impossible to match exactly), yields this result:
Boston (29-5, 15-6): 44-11
Detroit: (24-12, 16-5): 40-17

That would put them #1 and #2 in the conference. Clearly this didn't factor in the difficulty of Western teams they've faced (Boston obviously has several tough games ahead), and the difficulty of playing Western foes more often, but they're both elite teams. Neither would be lower than a #4 seed.