West Coast Bias

[furls]

Is it just me or does it seem like the ECF and the entire conference gets no love.

I know that Eastern Conference ball is not as entertaining as what the Suns, Mavs, Warriors, and Lakers do, but it seems to win (a lot). Physical, slow teams beat fast/fancy teams a lot and everyone always acts shocked in the end.

I am not coming out and saying that the winner of the ECF is going to win the Finals, but I am saying that the winner of the East will have a shot for sure. Remember, coming into this series, the Pistons were playing the best ball in the NBA according to all the analysts. Remember, it was a foregone conclusion that the long ago dismissed Mavs were going to win it all. Then once they were gone it was all about the Suns. I guess they really know what they are talking about.

[swerb]

And last year, the Mavs were solid favorites over Miami ... before getting smacked four straight after going up 2-0.

The Spurs really play like an Eastern Conference team though. And to the credit of both Dallas and Phoenix, both of those teams did make great strides defensively this season.

That said, I think Spurs/Pistons or Spurs/Cavs will be a very competitive series.

Spurs will be very slight faves vs Det. Likely -150 vs the Cavs.

[furls]

Yep, I think the Eastern Conference style generally wins out in a series against the run and gun west. Utah plays a bit more like the East than the rest of their peers also.

[jb]

Dudes, be serious.

http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

[Guest]

I think the Spurs will be at least a 2-1 favorite over either team and rightfully so.

[swerb]

Dudes, be serious.

http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

Spurs were 20-10 vs the East.

Cavs were 19-11 vs the West. Pistons 17-13.

I don't see the Spurs winning handily in the Finals, regardless of their foe. They are a nice team, yes.

But remember, they played a bad Nugget team with no heart & defense in rd 1. Got a big assist from David Stern vs the Suns. And are currently beating a Utah team that has no business being in the WC Finals, at least not yet.

[jb]

Dudes, be serious.

http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

Spurs were 20-10 vs the East.

Cavs were 19-11 vs the West. Pistons 17-13.

I don't see the Spurs winning handily in the Finals, regardless of their foe. They are a nice team, yes.

But remember, they played a bad Nugget team with no heart & defense in rd 1. Got a big assist from David Stern vs the Suns. And are currently beating a Utah team that has no business being in the WC Finals, at least not yet.

If we are talking single series and 2 isolated teams, then yeah, Cavs have a shot.

If we are talking which conference is better and whnether there is an agenda?

Be serious.

[swerb]

Dudes, be serious.

http://www.nba.com/standings/team_record_comparison/conferenceNew_Std_Cnf.html

Spurs were 20-10 vs the East.

Cavs were 19-11 vs the West. Pistons 17-13.

I don't see the Spurs winning handily in the Finals, regardless of their foe. They are a nice team, yes.

But remember, they played a bad Nugget team with no heart & defense in rd 1. Got a big assist from David Stern vs the Suns. And are currently beating a Utah team that has no business being in the WC Finals, at least not yet.

If we are talking single series and 2 isolated teams, then yeah, Cavs have a shot.

If we are talking which conference is better and whnether there is an agenda?

Be serious.

No, no, no. I agree.

Luckily for the East though, they will send their best team up against the 3rd best team in the West this year.

[Steve Buffum]

Luckily for the East though, they will send their best team up against the 3rd best team in the West this year.

Please don't tell me you really think the NBA regular season proves or means anything.

[jb]

Luckily for the East though, they will send their best team up against the 3rd best team in the West this year.

Please don't tell me you really think the NBA regular season proves or means anything.

Yes. It has meaning. We could discuss how much and what meaning is relevant.

Sincerely,

Scott Cantor and the entire now enlightened Miami Heat roster

[swerb]

Luckily for the East though, they will send their best team up against the 3rd best team in the West this year.

Please don't tell me you really think the NBA regular season proves or means anything.

Dallas and Phoenix were the two best teams in basketball this year in my view.

Dallas ran into a buzzsaw, that happens sometimes. A hot team, with a vet coach that knew them ... if they would have won the GS series they would have tore through Utah like a hot knife through butter.

Phoenix lost 2 of their 5 best players for game 5 of a series tied at 2-2, then lost that game narrowly, fading late.

The Spurs are a nice team. I pull for them over all the other strong teams out west. But this is the same Spurs team that lost 2nd rd to the Mavs last year.

They were the 3rd best team in the West all year, and still are despite the fact they're going to the Finals.

[Steve Buffum]

Dallas and Phoenix were the two best teams in basketball this year in my view.

I believe this is where I point to the scoreboard.

Dallas ran into a buzzsaw, that happens sometimes. A hot team, with a vet coach that knew them ... if they would have won the GS series they would have tore through Utah like a hot knife through butter.

Look me in the eye and tell me San Antonio loses to Golden State. Doesn't happen.

Phoenix lost 2 of their 5 best players for game 5 of a series tied at 2-2, then lost that game narrowly, fading late.

Lest I be dismissed as a Spurs Homer, I was rooting for Phoenix and think they got jobbed. But San Antonio beat them because they are a better playoff team.

See, this might be the disconnect: you may be thinking that the "best team" is the one that, on any given night, with no more than pride at stake, will beat the other. I understand that definition. I just don't embrace it in the NBA. The "best team" is the one that, over the course of a seven-game series, exploits the matchups and weaknesses of the other team and wins the series. Unless there is egregious officiating (Miami) or a really unfortunate injury, the "best team" is the champion.

The Spurs are a nice team. I pull for them over all the other strong teams out west. But this is the same Spurs team that lost 2nd rd to the Mavs last year.

Yeah, that's just false. You need to get a dish or something. Ginobili is healthier and Oberto is better. Wasn't Nazr Mohammed on that team last year? Feh.

They were the 3rd best team in the West all year, and still are despite the fact they're going to the Finals.

During the Meaningless Regular Season, yes. In the playoffs, no.

[e0y2e3]

Look me in the eye and tell me San Antonio loses to Golden State. Doesn't happen.

To be fair, GS was built to beat Dallas. The way GS is constructed they only have a prayer in a 7 game series if the other team lacks a post presence.

See, this might be the disconnect: you may be thinking that the "best team" is the one that, on any given night, with no more than pride at stake, will beat the other. I understand that definition. I just don't embrace it in the NBA. The "best team" is the one that, over the course of a seven-game series, exploits the matchups and weaknesses of the other team and wins the series. Unless there is egregious officiating (Miami) or a really unfortunate injury, the "best team" is the champion.

Buff pretty much nails it here. SA is the best team in the NBA right now bar none. Finally getting healthy has something to do with it, but so does experience, near perfect execution, and having the best coach on the NBA on your side.

The Cavs hanging with the Spurs in the regular season has roughly as much merit as the Cavs going 1 and 2 against Charlotte.

[furls]

You can say that the Mavs ran into a buzz saw, or you could say that the Mavs defense was exposed by a very good offensive team. Either position is defensable, but I think that is kind of the point of the whole 7 game series thing, to rule out (or reduce) the odds that the best team loses.

In the title of this thread, I did not mean to imply that there was an agenda, I was just messing with the whole east coast bias thing. Bottom line, not many people were giving the east much of a shot this year, last year, or the year that the Pistons won.

[swerb]

Buff, I disagree. Fabricio Oberto doesn't make teams better. And IIRC, Manu was banged up most of last regular season but was at full health when they lost to the Mavs second round. This is forgetting the facts that guys like Duncan, Bowen, Horry, Finley are all a year older too.

Would the Spurs have lost to the Warriors? Who knows. But I do think they would have lost game five to the Suns (and the series) had Amare and Diaw not been suspended. And I see absolutely no reason why they would have beaten the Mavs this year when they were unable to a season ago.

Same Spurs team. Much better draw.

[e0y2e3]

Swerb, what about the fact that Duncan (aka the heart and soul of the Spurs) was at most 80% in the playoffs last year?

I agree it is a toss up who really wins that Pheonix series, but let's not use last years Mavs series as any predictive measure.

[Madre Hill, Superstar]

Back to the original topic, anyone see Simmons's piece today?

"So that's my vote: Black Mamba, you're going to Phoenix to play with KG and Nash. And if it happens, I can guarantee that the 2008 playoffs will be more entertaining than the 2007 playoffs."

Uh, Bill? Have you been paying any attention at all to the Eastern Conference Finals?