I hope nobody has posted this yet. But I came across this, this morning, and I've been fuming about the highest winning percentage against Western Conference teams ever since. If the Pacers were in the west, they'd still have the best record in the league by percentages (see my sadly ignored post below). But they get no respect anyway.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4725819/
The East is least when
it comes to the playoffs
Conference's bottom feeders
shouldn't be allowed in postseason
Stephon Marbury made the Knicks flashier, but hardly a championship contender.
COMMENTARY
By Michael Ventre
NBCSports.com contributor
Updated: 1:28 a.m. ET April 13, 2004
John Wooden has long been a proponent of allowing all Division I-A teams into the NCAA men’s basketball tournament instead of just a select 64. But you’ll notice that there is no such movement afoot among NBA enthusiasts. If anything, I think fans would rather rethink that mandatory 1-through-8 format in each conference. If, in a given year, there are NBA teams who would probably lose in the first round if they were in the NCAA tournament, then they really have no business taking up everybody’s time and should be asked to leave and forfeit their playoff shares.
This is a given year.
The West is fine. Teams on the bottom rungs of the Western Conference bracket currently include Houston and Denver, with Utah and Portland still hopeful. All four of those clubs are capable of causing their higher-seeded first-round opponents to break a sweat. They might even win a game or two.
But the East is a different story. Teams 5 through 8 in the East could be .500 or worse. In fact, much worse. The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, the Nos. 7 and 8 teams, would spray champagne around their respective locker rooms if they could spot .500 with a telescope.
Not only that, but the top three teams in the East aren’t exactly wowing the populace. The Indiana Pacers have amassed the league’s best record at 60-21, primarily by fattening up on the junk food in their own conference. The Detroit Pistons play stout defense, but even with Rasheed Wallace, it’s doubtful they would have the offensive artillery to keep up with the best from the West. And even though the New Jersey Nets were NBA finalists the past two years, they still have no identity and no chance.
The sad part is – in the East, anyway – the Knicks or Celtics could conceivably pull an upset on somebody like Indiana or Detroit in a seven-game series. Not very likely, mind you, but possible. And it isn’t because the East is uniformly strong, like the West, but rather because it is uniformly weak.
If the Jazz and Trail Blazers were in the East, they would be seeded Nos. 4, and 5, respectively, and would play each other in the first round. Alas, because they’re in the West, they’ll probably be spectators. Also, of the West’s Nos. 11 and 12 teams, the Warriors and Sonics, one would claim the No. 8 spot if placed in the East.
Let’s take the Celtics. Even general manager Danny Ainge isn’t happy about this. A few weeks ago, he slipped and admitted how much easier his rebuilding job might be if his club were in the draft lottery. Instead, the Celtics will watch as Paul Pierce takes 150 shots per game and lose. Again, it’s conceivable that Boston could spring an upset, based solely on there being no Eastern juggernaut, including the Pacers. But the likely scenario is that Boston fans will look at Celtics playoff games as something to check in on between innings of Red Sox games.
The Knicks were retooled, and the city of New York is in love with them again. But they are the NBA’s equivalent of costume jewelry. They are championship caliber like Martha Stewart is innocent. True, of all the lower-seeded teams in both conferences, the Knicks have the best opportunity for a first-round upset, mainly because the Nets are so flimsy. The Knicks will ride a wave of emotion because the New York media will pump them up and challenge them and make their playoff appearance a matter of civic pride. The Nets? A few people might honk their car horns at their bus on the New Jersey Turnpike, but that’s about it.
I have a lot of respect for the Nos. 4 and 5 squads in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat, because both had every reason to fold their tents and look toward next year. Instead, they played with passion. The Bucks have done it all year long under Terry Porter, the Heat caught fire late under Stan Van Gundy.
But neither of these franchises is especially good. I still can’t figure out how the Bucks win basketball games. Michael Redd is a terrific player, and so is Desmond Mason. Beyond them, there isn’t much. Effort and hustle. Admirable qualities, to be sure, but not nearly enough to vie for a title. The Heat has Eddie Jones, Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, but their best player has turned out to be rookie Dwyane Wade. Miami is another club that has climbed into the playoff bracket through sheer will. And the twist here is, since they’ll likely finish at Nos. 4 and 5, they’ll face each other in the first round, so one of them has to advance.
The New Orleans Hornets are currently the No. 6 team, yet fans are so unhappy with this lackadaisical bunch that there are demands to clean out the front office and fire the coach. You probably won’t see the Hornets beyond the first round, unless it’s at some charity appearance. Too bad. Under Paul Silas, the Hornets seemed like an up-and-coming contender. Now that they’re coached by Tim Floyd, they’ve taken the city’s nickname of The Big Easy as a battle cry.
Before we give the West a complete pass, let’s remember that Dallas at No. 6 and Houston at No. 7 are disappointments. The Mavericks seem to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of shoot first, ask questions about defense and rebounding later. The Rockets, especially star guard Steve Francis, are bristling under the iron hand of coach Jeff Van Gundy. When a coach tries to change a player’s personality, like Van Gundy is doing with Francis, that usually translates into a cameo appearance for that club in the postseason.
Oh, and just a note about the Lakers. Even though they have Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and are coached by Phil Jackson, you may not see a more mentally challenged team in the playoffs. They’re right on schedule to implode just as the games become meaningful. Strictly in terms of what’s between their collective ears, they belong in the East.
If you appreciate great basketball, skip the East altogether, and wait until the West gets into the second round. You’ll be glad you did.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4725819/
The East is least when
it comes to the playoffs
Conference's bottom feeders
shouldn't be allowed in postseason
Stephon Marbury made the Knicks flashier, but hardly a championship contender.
COMMENTARY
By Michael Ventre
NBCSports.com contributor
Updated: 1:28 a.m. ET April 13, 2004
John Wooden has long been a proponent of allowing all Division I-A teams into the NCAA men’s basketball tournament instead of just a select 64. But you’ll notice that there is no such movement afoot among NBA enthusiasts. If anything, I think fans would rather rethink that mandatory 1-through-8 format in each conference. If, in a given year, there are NBA teams who would probably lose in the first round if they were in the NCAA tournament, then they really have no business taking up everybody’s time and should be asked to leave and forfeit their playoff shares.
This is a given year.
The West is fine. Teams on the bottom rungs of the Western Conference bracket currently include Houston and Denver, with Utah and Portland still hopeful. All four of those clubs are capable of causing their higher-seeded first-round opponents to break a sweat. They might even win a game or two.
But the East is a different story. Teams 5 through 8 in the East could be .500 or worse. In fact, much worse. The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, the Nos. 7 and 8 teams, would spray champagne around their respective locker rooms if they could spot .500 with a telescope.
Not only that, but the top three teams in the East aren’t exactly wowing the populace. The Indiana Pacers have amassed the league’s best record at 60-21, primarily by fattening up on the junk food in their own conference. The Detroit Pistons play stout defense, but even with Rasheed Wallace, it’s doubtful they would have the offensive artillery to keep up with the best from the West. And even though the New Jersey Nets were NBA finalists the past two years, they still have no identity and no chance.
The sad part is – in the East, anyway – the Knicks or Celtics could conceivably pull an upset on somebody like Indiana or Detroit in a seven-game series. Not very likely, mind you, but possible. And it isn’t because the East is uniformly strong, like the West, but rather because it is uniformly weak.
If the Jazz and Trail Blazers were in the East, they would be seeded Nos. 4, and 5, respectively, and would play each other in the first round. Alas, because they’re in the West, they’ll probably be spectators. Also, of the West’s Nos. 11 and 12 teams, the Warriors and Sonics, one would claim the No. 8 spot if placed in the East.
Let’s take the Celtics. Even general manager Danny Ainge isn’t happy about this. A few weeks ago, he slipped and admitted how much easier his rebuilding job might be if his club were in the draft lottery. Instead, the Celtics will watch as Paul Pierce takes 150 shots per game and lose. Again, it’s conceivable that Boston could spring an upset, based solely on there being no Eastern juggernaut, including the Pacers. But the likely scenario is that Boston fans will look at Celtics playoff games as something to check in on between innings of Red Sox games.
The Knicks were retooled, and the city of New York is in love with them again. But they are the NBA’s equivalent of costume jewelry. They are championship caliber like Martha Stewart is innocent. True, of all the lower-seeded teams in both conferences, the Knicks have the best opportunity for a first-round upset, mainly because the Nets are so flimsy. The Knicks will ride a wave of emotion because the New York media will pump them up and challenge them and make their playoff appearance a matter of civic pride. The Nets? A few people might honk their car horns at their bus on the New Jersey Turnpike, but that’s about it.
I have a lot of respect for the Nos. 4 and 5 squads in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat, because both had every reason to fold their tents and look toward next year. Instead, they played with passion. The Bucks have done it all year long under Terry Porter, the Heat caught fire late under Stan Van Gundy.
But neither of these franchises is especially good. I still can’t figure out how the Bucks win basketball games. Michael Redd is a terrific player, and so is Desmond Mason. Beyond them, there isn’t much. Effort and hustle. Admirable qualities, to be sure, but not nearly enough to vie for a title. The Heat has Eddie Jones, Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, but their best player has turned out to be rookie Dwyane Wade. Miami is another club that has climbed into the playoff bracket through sheer will. And the twist here is, since they’ll likely finish at Nos. 4 and 5, they’ll face each other in the first round, so one of them has to advance.
The New Orleans Hornets are currently the No. 6 team, yet fans are so unhappy with this lackadaisical bunch that there are demands to clean out the front office and fire the coach. You probably won’t see the Hornets beyond the first round, unless it’s at some charity appearance. Too bad. Under Paul Silas, the Hornets seemed like an up-and-coming contender. Now that they’re coached by Tim Floyd, they’ve taken the city’s nickname of The Big Easy as a battle cry.
Before we give the West a complete pass, let’s remember that Dallas at No. 6 and Houston at No. 7 are disappointments. The Mavericks seem to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of shoot first, ask questions about defense and rebounding later. The Rockets, especially star guard Steve Francis, are bristling under the iron hand of coach Jeff Van Gundy. When a coach tries to change a player’s personality, like Van Gundy is doing with Francis, that usually translates into a cameo appearance for that club in the postseason.
Oh, and just a note about the Lakers. Even though they have Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and are coached by Phil Jackson, you may not see a more mentally challenged team in the playoffs. They’re right on schedule to implode just as the games become meaningful. Strictly in terms of what’s between their collective ears, they belong in the East.
If you appreciate great basketball, skip the East altogether, and wait until the West gets into the second round. You’ll be glad you did.
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