Two years ago NBA Western Conference teams were plus-64 in games against teams from East. Last year, despite an off-season that saw a virtual All-Star team of talent head from West to East - Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph and Rashard Lewis all switched sides - it actually got worse. The West was plus-66 against the East in 2007-08.
It's a long way from conclusive, but the first three weeks of this season suggest that not only has momentum been stemmed, it's turned 180 degrees. With a little more than 10 percent of the interconference schedule completed, the East holds a 31-15 edge over the West.
Some of that owes to the fact that the East teams have played a few more home games than the West. Some of it is attributable to the fact that Oklahoma City, which appears to be the weakest team in the league, has played seven of its 10 games against Eastern teams - and is 0-7 in those games - while the weakest team in the East so far, Washington, has played only one game against the West, although the Wizards' only win so far came against West power Utah.
Even though you couldn't prove it by the discrepancy totals, the gap really started to close last year if you measure it by legitimate title contenders and quality playoff teams. The minus-66 was mostly attributable to the impotence of the East's bottom feeders. The Knicks alone accounted for more than one-third of the 66-game deficit, finishing an imponderable 3-27 against the West. Miami, decimated by injury, was 7-23. Chicago and Milwaukee combined to go 26 below .500 against the West.
It's worth remembering that Boston's least challenging playoff series last year came in the NBA Finals against a Lakers team that wasn't seriously challenged in getting out of their conference.
This year there wouldn't appear to be any gap - at the top, at the bottom or in the middle.
Detroit, Boston and Cleveland are as strong as any threesome the West can mount. The Lakers got out of the gates looking dominant, but the Pistons went into the Staples Center with a scheduling disadvantage - they'd played the night before and had to travel to LA, while the Lakers were off and home - and won by double digits.
Beyond the Lakers, it's tough to identify the West's other legitimate title contenders as of mid-November. Utah has been wobbled by Deron Williams' ankle injury and Mehmet Okur's absence. San Antonio is trying to tread water until Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker get back. Houston has had mixed results integrating Ron Artest while it waits for Shane Battier's return. New Orleans is a mere 5-4.
The next tier of East teams looks to be Orlando, Toronto and Philadelphia with Atlanta slipping a little since its hot start as it copes with Josh Smith's absence. They represent an upgrade over last year's middle class for the East. In the Central Division alone, all three 2008 non-playoff teams - Chicago, Indiana and Milwaukee - look significantly more formidable than they did a year ago.
Miami and New York lost 126 games between them last year. It's possible they'll shave 50 games off of that total this season and challenge for playoff berths. Charlotte has personnel issues, but Larry Brown gives the Bobcats a chance at respectability. Even Washington has to believe that the pending return of Gilbert Arenas will allow the Wizards a shot at a turnaround.
The ugly numbers that teams like the Knicks, Heat, Bucks and Bulls put up last year against the West could this year be assumed by Western lodge members like Oklahoma City, Memphis, Minnesota and the LA Clippers. Those teams are a combined 6-32, just the type of starts that overwhelmed the teams at the bottom of the East a season ago.
- The Pistons' 7-3 start has them just one game behind Cleveland in the Central Division and one game behind Boston in the loss column for the No. 1 seed in the East despite playing a far less favorable schedule so far. The Pistons have had seven of their 10 games away from The Palace, while Cleveland has been home for six of its 10 games and Boston for six of its 11. Only two other Eastern Conference teams have had so few home games - Atlanta, which is 6-3, and Washington, 1-6. Five of the Pistons' next six games are at home, including four straight after they play at Boston on Thursday night.
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Award-winning journalist Keith Langlois, most recently lead sports columnist at The Oakland Press, joined Pistons.com as the web site editor on October 2, 2006. Langlois, who brings over 27 years of professional sports journalism experience to Palace Sports & Entertainment, serves as Pistons.com's official beat writer and covers the team on a daily basis.