Tesla wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
There is no way to know for sure... but lots of things play into that...
The Suns were what like 38-3? a few years back against the East... does that mean they would have a record breaking 75-7 record had they played in the East? No, I doubt that. Sometimes it works out that way. With schedules and such. When you have in your conference, several back2backs, on the road, playing the best teams 4 times, and they are scouting you much differently since you are a conference rival, its much much different.
Where do you get 75-7 from? there's only 22 games different, some of those 22 game are irrelevant. i.e. this year does it really matter if 4 games switch from boston/detroit to San Antonio/LA. Does it really matter if 6 to 8 games against Miami/New York/Milwaukee/Charlotte switch to Minnesoat, Memphis, Seattle/Clippers.
Match up Orlando with Dallas, match up Toronto with Portland, match up Philly with Sacramento, match up Cleveland with Denver. That's another 6 to 8 games that are roughly the same.
So the difference from one conference to the other is really only about a 6 to 8 game difference in schedule over an 82 game season. 6 to 8 easier games become 6 to 8 harder games. People talk like hte whole 82 game schedule becomes different.
And, as for cleveland, there is 2 years of evidence we play well against a western schedule. Both years better against the west than the east. Cleveland is one of those teams who seems to play better against the tougher teams than the ones who are supposed to be easier.
