So, what makes West teams better than East teams?

[Richesly]

Now, I just wanna be educated. Last season, Hawks destroyed Western teams with a 65% win rate over them if I recall correctly, and that applies to west teams over .500.


I noticed west teams don't actually know what defense is, and I could be wrong. So I looked at stats, and wow, from what I can see western teams rely on outscoring their opponents. They allow their opponent to score a high ppg as well. Strange.

Oh, I know.

West teams aren't better. They are inflated due to lack of any competent defense. Which is why Hawks destroyed them, as we have a top 5 defense AND offense. Perfect for destroying western teams.

Only team that plays defense in the West is GSW, and that's the only reason they touched 65 wins.

Only centers that play defense in the west that could match a starting center on a .500 east team is Gasol and Gobert.

Now, western nut huggers, gtfo.

[iTare]

Come playoff time the west teams are miles ahead of east teams.
f*ck the reg season

[lilteapot]

Anyone have a screencap of OP melting down last season during the playoffs?

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Better offense and better defense

[Richesly]

Anyone have a screencap of OP melting down last season during the playoffs?

Making stuff up. I didn't post AT ALL during playoffs, I was on vacation with my gf. Had no access to internet other than phone.

[Richesly]

Better offense and better defense

Post stats saying they have better defense.

[lilteapot]

Making stuff up. I didn't post AT ALL during playoffs, I was on vacation with my gf. Had no access to internet other than phone.
Maybe it was another delusional Hawk fan.

Also, the Grizzlies.

[Richesly]

Maybe it was another delusional Hawk fan.

Also, the Grizzlies.

Might be confusing me with atljonesbro, a lot of people do for some reason.

And yes, I gave props to Gasol, and I should give props to Tony Allen as well.

But again, that's one team.

[lilteapot]

Might be confusing me with atljonesbro, a lot of people do for some reason.

And yes, I gave props to Gasol, and I should give props to Tony Allen as well.

But again, that's one team.
that's two teams that play defense in the west.

3 also including the Spurs

[GrapeApe]

Deeper talent pool. The top end talent in the east has always been comparable, but the west has more good players. That's a big part of the reason the east is generally stronger defensively. A lack of offensive talent means more emphasis must be placed on defense.

[CakeorDeath]

Last season, in terms or statistical team ratings, the West had 7 of the top 10 teams and 10 of the top 15. Had Utah played the whole season like they did after trading Kanter, they would have finished in the top 10 instead of 14th, which would have made 8 West teams in the top 10.

If you look at just defensive rating, the top is heavier with east teams, but basketball involves two sides of the court. Great defense means dick if you can't score on the other end.

Even casual followers of the nba can tell you the vast majority of offensive talent is in the west. Great offense usually beats great defense. West usually beats East.

[Richesly]

Last season, in terms or statistical team ratings, the West had 7 of the top 10 teams and 10 of the top 15. Had Utah played the whole season like they did after trading Kanter, they would have finished in the top 10 instead of 14th, which would have made 8 West teams in the top 10.

If you look at just defensive rating, the top is heavier with east teams, but basketball involves two sides of the court. Great defense means dick if you can't score on the other end.

Even casual followers of the nba can tell you the vast majority of offensive talent is in the west. Great offense usually beats great defense. West usually beats East.


See, a good answer that I respect and that I already knew. This is the exact reason the Hawks did a great job. Like you said, great offense beats great defense. Not many teams have both like the Warriors, Spurs, Hawks, etc.

But I think the top talent could be shifting to the east if the top picks of the last 3 years of the east end up being good.

[LikeABosh]

LeGOAT is better vs. most of the West, cupcake defenses.

[SpecialQue]

LeGOAT is better vs. most of the West, cupcake defenses.

The surest sign of this is the finals record, where the top teams of both conferences play each other. What's Lebron's finals record?

[Richesly]

The surest sign of this is the finals record, where the top teams of both conferences play each other. What's Lebron's finals record?

Not exactly so, since usually the team that comes off the West has a great defense, unless your the OKC, which had none. And you saw what happened there.

[dubeta]

The surest sign of this is the finals record, where the top teams of both conferences play each other. What's Lebron's finals record?

27/9/7 on 46% FG%



Kobe 24 points on 41%


Wonder why he shits the bed against Eastern teams

[Fallen Angel]

James Harden

[Legends66NBA7]

Better overall talent, better teams, better younger talent, better coaches, etc....


How can the top talent be shifting when the West getting the better end of the Top picks in the draft ?

Last 3 best picks (Davis, Gobert, and Wiggins) have all gone to the West. Towns could potentially be the best player of his draft too.

[T_L_P]

Better talent pool, better coaches, smarter organisations. The West has had a better record against the East in all but one of the past 17 seasons (the exception being 09). 12 of the 15 All-NBAers last season came from the West.

Another thing: because they are playing against the West more, solid WC teams get high picks whereas the solid EC teams get close to the Playoffs. If those solid EC teams played out West they'd get higher picks, which means they'd get better plays and thus the talent pool would equal out more.

[Naero]

Look up the record-split metrics for most Eastern Conference teams against Western Conference teams in the past decade-plus, and you'll notice the disparity with most teams as it pertains to inter-conference match-ups as opposed to their infra-conference tenants.

The Hawks were an anomaly; but thanks to capitalizing off of injury-laden Weatern Conference teams or those that were inopportunely on the latter unit of back-to-back games, they managed to overachieve en route to a misrepresentingly commanding regular-season record. As their play in the playoffs illustrated, however, they failed to goofy their regular-season dominance; they were taken to task by the lowly Nets, narrowly won against the Wizards (split seconds made all the consequential difference at the end of Game 6, I might add), and they ended up swept against a Cavaliers team that they got the better of in the regular season.

All in all, watch the playoffs, and you'll know that even MOST Eastern Conference teams that look formidable go on to underachieve in the playoffs--the Hawks (most recently), Bulls, Pacers, and so on.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Better overall talent, better teams, better younger talent, better coaches, etc....


How can the top talent be shifting when the West getting the better end of the Top picks in the draft ?

Last 3 best picks (Davis, Gobert, and Wiggins) have all gone to the West. Towns could potentially be the best player of his draft too.

Might be wrong, but the East typically ends up with the higher picks tho. It's really just better front offices knowing what they are doing, imo.