The East closing the gap on the West?

JulesWinnfield · Post #1 » by **JulesWinnfield** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:01 am

It is incredibly early, but the East actually holds a lead against the West head to head this season, with the top 7 seeds in the East currently a combined perfect 8-0 against the Western conference. In the past two days we have seen Toronto and Chicago hand losses to OKC. Washington beat the Spurs. Charlotte roll at Dallas.

Emerging studs like Drummond in Detroit. Miami and Indiana presumably banking on better health as Western playoff staples like Dallas and Portland appear to take steps back in the personnel department. Are we looking at more balance between the conferences today than we have seen in quite a while? It's still tough to make any argument that the East is the better conference, but I think we are creeping up on some balance....

Thoughts?

gbball · Post #2 » by **gbball** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:04 am

I was thinking the same thing. It's still early, but the East is definitely getting stronger and deeper. We'll see how things go the rest of the way though.

Jonatton Yeah · Post #3 » by **Jonatton Yeah** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:13 am

I hope not. It's been fun to pile on the East for their recent ineptitude.

meekrab · Post #4 » by **meekrab** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:14 am

Give it a month or two before we make snap judgements, but yes, the East overall is younger than the West so it should improve more season over season.

joedumars1 · Post #5 » by **joedumars1** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:15 am

Easy answer NO! Some of the West teams have just come out shaky

Ponchos · Post #6 » by **Ponchos** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:17 am

joedumars1 wrote:Easy answer NO! Some of the West teams have just come out shaky

Probably due to the fact that they're in the West.

HotTubMike · Post #7 » by **HotTubMike** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:18 am

JulesWinnfield wrote:It is incredibly early, but the East actually holds a lead against the West head to head this season, with the top 7 seeds in the East currently a combined perfect 8-0 against the Western conference. In the past two days we have seen Toronto and Chicago hand losses to OKC. Washington beat the Spurs. Charlotte roll at Dallas.

Emerging studs like Drummond in Detroit. Miami and Indiana presumably banking on better health as Western playoff staples like Dallas and Portland appear to take steps back in the personnel department. Are we looking at more balance between the conferences today than we have seen in quite a while? It's still tough to make any argument that the East is the better conference, but I think we are creeping up on some balance....

Thoughts?

there is literally no good argument for this and if anyone suggested it they should be laughed off the forums.

We're 5 games in... form is temporary... class is permanent.

GSW
Cleveland
SAS
LAC
OKC
HOU

5 of the 6 best teams are in the west.... when it comes to play-off teams it isn't even close.

No eastern conference team besides Cleveland would be favored against any of the top 5 seeds in the west.

Chuck Everett · Post #8 » by **Chuck Everett** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:20 am

Too early.

joedumars1 · Post #9 » by **joedumars1** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:23 am

Ponchos wrote:
joedumars1 wrote:Easy answer NO! Some of the West teams have just come out shaky

Probably due to the fact that they're in the West.

Kinda, but OKC just lost to two East teams Toronto and Chicago. I think Houston may have lost to two East teams too, not sure. San Antonio just lost to Washington too

Asif16 · Post #10 » by **Asif16** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:25 am

HotTubMike wrote:
JulesWinnfield wrote:It is incredibly early, but the East actually holds a lead against the West head to head this season, with the top 7 seeds in the East currently a combined perfect 8-0 against the Western conference. In the past two days we have seen Toronto and Chicago hand losses to OKC. Washington beat the Spurs. Charlotte roll at Dallas.

Emerging studs like Drummond in Detroit. Miami and Indiana presumably banking on better health as Western playoff staples like Dallas and Portland appear to take steps back in the personnel department. Are we looking at more balance between the conferences today than we have seen in quite a while? It's still tough to make any argument that the East is the better conference, but I think we are creeping up on some balance....

Thoughts?

there is literally no good argument for this and if anyone suggested it they should be laughed off the forums.

We're 5 games in... form is temporary... class is permanent.

GSW
Cleveland
SAS
LAC
OKC
HOU

5 of the 6 best teams are in the west.... when it comes to play-off teams it isn't even close.

No eastern conference team besides Cleveland would be favored against any of the top 5 seeds in the west.

GS, SAS, LAC and OKC i agree with.

But houston shouldnt be put in the group. I think Chicago, Atlanta, Washington or Toronto can take houston in a 7 game series. I know you're gonna get butthurt over this so flame away.

Post #11 » by **jbk1234** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:27 am

HotTubMike wrote:
JulesWinnfield wrote:It is incredibly early, but the East actually holds a lead against the West head to head this season, with the top 7 seeds in the East currently a combined perfect 8-0 against the Western conference. In the past two days we have seen Toronto and Chicago hand losses to OKC. Washington beat the Spurs. Charlotte roll at Dallas.

Emerging studs like Drummond in Detroit. Miami and Indiana presumably banking on better health as Western playoff staples like Dallas and Portland appear to take steps back in the personnel department. Are we looking at more balance between the conferences today than we have seen in quite a while? It's still tough to make any argument that the East is the better conference, but I think we are creeping up on some balance....

Thoughts?

there is literally no good argument for this and if anyone suggested it they should be laughed off the forums.

We're 5 games in... form is temporary... class is permanent.

GSW
Cleveland
SAS
LAC
OKC
HOU

5 of the 6 best teams are in the west.... when it comes to play-off teams it isn't even close.

No eastern conference team besides Cleveland would be favored against any of the top 5 seeds in the west.

I'd have the Clippers in the top 3 instead of the Spurs. The Spurs look old to me and I'm not seeing the type of synergy I would have liked from the LMA acquisition. The Rockets and OKC all have looked shaky defensively and I'm not 100% they're just going to figure it out. It's way too early to render a final verdict but the notion that the West will be less dominant this year is hardly crazy.

Asif16 · Post #12 » by **Asif16** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:27 am

To answer the original question, yes the East is slowly closing the gap but as of right now the west is still far superior no doubt.

meekrab · Post #13 » by **meekrab** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:30 am

We're determining contenders 6 games into the season now? :lol:

Okay Skip, lets give SAS some time at the microphone now :lol:

Austincys21 · Post #14 » by **Austincys21** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:33 am

Not even close. It's the Cavs and that's it. Raptors won't last but are looking like the only othe 50 win team. The Bulls are overrated, the Hawks are too small, Bucks are too young, Wizards don't have the depth, Celtics have no go to guy, Knicks need more athletism, Pistons I think are going to be the team of the future in the east but right now don't have it, also the Pacers have no depth and no bigs.

The east is just as bad as it was last year.

Austincys21 · Post #15 » by **Austincys21** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:34 am

Asif16 wrote:To answer the original question, yes the East is slowly closing the gap but as of right now the west is still far superior no doubt.

Well it's about time. The east has been crap every since Lebron pretty much joined the league haha

JulesWinnfield · Post #16 » by **JulesWinnfield** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:35 am

The question is whether or not they've closed the gap, not whether the East is better than the West. I think it's pretty clear the East is a stronger conference this season than it has been in quite a while. Cleveland is cleveland. Atlanta is still going to do their thing and win mid 50s plus. Chicago is a veteran squad that isn't going away. The improvement comes from the natural progression of some of the young teams in the conference (Toronto, Washington, Milwaukee) who all appear to field their best version of themselves this era. The assumed improved health of capable rosters like Miami and Indiana, both far better on paper than the teams at the bottom of the east playoff picture last year. Same is true of Charlotte who is only a year removed from having a top 5 defense and a playoff team but were ravaged by injury in 2015. Then you get young teams like Detroit with a stud like Drummond who would not surprise to make this year 1 of a string of playoff trips under stan van. I also love Orlando's talent base and think they will be heard from at some point

I think the league overall is incredibly strong right now. Biproduct of little expansion in the past 20 years (1 team) coming at the same time as a global talent boom. The average team right now has as much talent as they've ever had since the expansion wave in the late 80s early 90s

Asif16 · Post #17 » by **Asif16** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:44 am

Austincys21 wrote:Not even close. It's the Cavs and that's it. Raptors won't last but are looking like the only othe 50 win team. The Bulls are overrated, the Hawks are too small, Bucks are too young, Wizards don't have the depth, Celtics have no go to guy, Knicks need more athletism, Pistons I think are going to be the team of the future in the east but right now don't have it, also the Pacers have no depth and no bigs.

The east is just as bad as it was last year.

Bulls aren't overrated by any means. Your only argument for the hawks not winning 50 games is because they are small? Hawks, Raps and Bulls all can win 50 games this season, to go along with the cavs ofcourse.

To go along with what you said, Cleveland and GS are a wash as two best teams in respective Conferences. Clippers look good but wont last in the playoffs. Spurs still look a bit disoriented. Rockets are overrated. OKC doesnt have depth. Jazz could be the team of the future but still too young. Dallas is is washed up. Minnesota still inexperienced. Lakers are trash.

We can find something for every team tbh

CallOfKtulu · Post #18 » by **CallOfKtulu** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:47 am

They have exactly one real title contender, so no.

HotRocks34 · Post #19 » by **HotRocks34** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:49 am

Yes, gap is closing.

Ponchos · Post #20 » by **Ponchos** » Fri Nov 6, 2015 5:50 am

joedumars1 wrote:
Ponchos wrote:
joedumars1 wrote:Easy answer NO! Some of the West teams have just come out shaky

Probably due to the fact that they're in the West.

Kinda, but OKC just lost to two East teams Toronto and Chicago. I think Houston may have lost to two East teams too, not sure. San Antonio just lost to Washington too

Last year SA lost to Washington and Brooklyn. GSW lost to Los Angeles. What's it matter? We're 5 games in.