<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Joey FistPump @ Feb 26 2008, 10:43 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Netted @ Feb 26 2008, 10:05 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Joey FistPump @ Feb 26 2008, 07:33 AM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Moo2K4 @ Feb 25 2008, 05:52 PM)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Memphis and Milwaukee should be two sure-fire wins for you guys. And lets be honest, you could probably go 3-7 on this stretch and still sit in the 8th spot, that's how awful the East is. It's really pitiful when you don't even have to be mediocre to get in the playoffs anymore.</div>
Considering that Milwaukee which is the 12th seed is only 4 behind us I'd say a tough stretch like this could be concerning...As for it being pitiful...yeah it is.
I will say I think in the next 3-4 years it will even back out...
the fact that the West is this dominant actually bodes well for the East in tha t the next 2-3 years the top 5 talent in each draft should head to the Eastern Conference teams in addition to the fact that teams such as Orlando, Toronto, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and the Nets have solid cores to build around for the future.
While this is happening, many of the Western Conference teams are getting older while trading draft picks and hurting there ability to replinish there teams...examples of these teams are Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Denver should fall off slightly.
At that time I think we'll achieve better balance, as teams like New Orleans, The Lakers, Portland will be on top in West and teams like Orlando, Toronto and maybe an Atlanta or Nets team will be in front in the East.
I will say that by banning highschoolers from the draft, the NBA might have actually made it easier to balance the leagues as players who go to College will recieve better evaluation and the disparity between great and bust will be revealed...Meaning teams will be less likely to grab a Monta Ellis in the second round, less likely to grab a Kwame Brown with a top pick and more likely to get a player that they've earned with there record.
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Don't forget that the better the West is the less quality teams make the playoffs, so you can get teams with close to 50 wins picking in the lottery above sub .500 teams in the East. So successful teams with quality talent get to add to their arsenals with a cheap solid player that could contribute right away.
That's a real problem the league is going to need to address in order to balance the league again. Imagine if a team like Denver, Houston or Golden St. get 50 wins, miss the playoffs, and score a top 3 pick!
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Personally I've always been in favor of the system that the NFL runs...let your record decide where you pick...
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I don't mind the lottery... keeps teams from tanking, but I would limit it to like the worst 7 or 8 teams and then it's all by record. Whether you make the playoffs or not.
