Can the NBA ever be even?

[TrueBlueDrew 75]

So I was looking at the NBA standings and gaging how well the Magic have done since the All-Star break. We were 17-39 at the all star break and have gone 5-11 since then.

 

After I looked at that, I started to look at the standings in the conferences and every year it seems like 3-4 teams in the West who are battling for the last playoff spot could safely be in the playoffs in the east.

 

So that made me ask this question: Will the NBA conferences ever be even?

 

East Standings:

1. Atlanta

2. Cleveland

3. Toronto

4. Chicago

5. Washington

6. Milwaukee

7. Miami

8. Charlotte

9, Boston

10. Indiana

11. Brooklyn

12. Detroit

13. Orlando

14. Philadelphia

15. New York

 

West Standings

1. Golden State

2. Memphis

3. Houston

4. Portland

5. L.A. Clippers

6. San Antonio

7. Dallas

8. Oklahoma City

9. Phoenix

10. New Orleans

11. Utah

12. Denver

13. Sacramento

14. L.A. Lakers

15. Minnesota

 

However, if we were to take the top 16 teams based on records this is what it would look like

1. Golden State

2. Atlanta

3. Memphis

4. Houston

5. Cleveland

6. Portland

7. L.A. Clippers

8. San Antonio

9. Dallas

10. Toronto

11. Chicago

12. Oklahoma City

13. Washington

14. Phoenix

15. New Orleans

16. Milwaukee

 

Crazy to think that you can go 10 deep in the West and 6 deep in the East...

 

Will that ever change? Is that purely a market/money thing? Or is it bad organizations drafting/signing poorly?

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

It's a cyclical thing.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

To expand: 97-98 there were 5 teams with 20 or fewer wins in the west. Only 1 in the east. The second worst team in the east won 31 games.

 

96-97 the eighth seed in the west was 36-46. In the east it was 44-38.

 

It was similar to this going back through 94-95.

 

In 92-93 it swung back to the east again.

[jjgator 164]

So I was looking at the NBA standings and ]how well the Magic have done since the All-Star break.

 

Yeah, me too. We still suck and the East will still probably suck next season(I expect us to be much better). I like our chances.

[Voodoo Man 99]

So I was looking at the NBA standings and ]how well the Magic have done since the All-Star break.

 

Yeah, me too. We still suck and the East will still probably suck next season(I expect us to be much better). I like our chances.

Unless Mark Cuban gets his way, and there is a major realignment of the divisions.

[A Better DJ & Photographer 461]

That is a great question. Based on the other replies it looks like it's a swinging pendulum.

[HeHateMe 697]

It's a cyclical thing.

 

I agree. It's a cycle. Just like in Footlball. Everyone complains that one year some division is bad and a team gets in that "didnt' deserve to be". It happens. I don't see the need for a change personally. It will even out at some point and in a few years the East could just be better again.

[Franchero MVP 391]

Adam Silver says NBA will consider taking top 16 teams for the playoffs

 

"Ultimately we want to see your best teams in the playoffs," Silver said. "And there is an unbalance and a certain unfairness. There is a proposal where the division winners would all automatically go into the playoffs and then you’d seed the next 10 best teams. I think that’s the kind of proposal we need to look at. There are travel issues of course, but in this day in age every team of course has their own plane, travels charter. I don’t think the discussion should end there. And as I’ve said, my first year I was studying a lot of these issues and year two is time to take action. It’s something I’m going to look at closely with the competition committee. I do think it’s an area where we need to make a change."

 

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/2/5/7989691/adam-silver-nba-playoffs-rule-changes-conference-imbalance

[TrueBlueDrew 75]

To expand: 97-98 there were 5 teams with 20 or fewer wins in the west. Only 1 in the east. The second worst team in the east won 31 games.

 

96-97 the eighth seed in the west was 36-46. In the east it was 44-38.

 

It was similar to this going back through 94-95.

 

In 92-93 it swung back to the east again.

 

I would typically agree with this logic...however one thing gives me pause and maybe you and some of the other guys can give insight to it.

 

I understand it was different in the 90s...but this is a different brand of basketball now. It's pushed forward by money and markets. Players in the 90s cared about money, but I don't think it was so market/brand conscious as it is now. All the players are looking to expand their brand, which is why (for example) Zach LaVine said "F*** me" when he was drafted by the TWolves because that isn't a good market and if it wasn't for the dunk contest...no one would have heard of him.

 

So don't you think the market influence is more to blame than the typical cycle of play? I think we can look to a cycle of what type of player is favored in the NBA... 90s Big Men, 00s seemed to be SG, 2010s seems to be PG.

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

I would typically agree with this logic...however one thing gives me pause and maybe you and some of the other guys can give insight to it.

 

I understand it was different in the 90s...but this is a different brand of basketball now. It's pushed forward by money and markets. Players in the 90s cared about money, but I don't think it was so market/brand conscious as it is now. All the players are looking to expand their brand, which is why (for example) Zach LaVine said "F*** me" when he was drafted by the TWolves because that isn't a good market and if it wasn't for the dunk contest...no one would have heard of him.

 

So don't you think the market influence is more to blame than the typical cycle of play? I think we can look to a cycle of what type of player is favored in the NBA... 90s Big Men, 00s seemed to be SG, 2010s seems to be PG.

 

 

San Antonio, Oklahoma city, Memphis, Portland.

 

Not exactly big markets

[TrueBlueDrew 75]

San Antonio, Oklahoma city, Memphis, Portland.

 

Not exactly big markets

 

San Antonio is just an exception...brilliant management and lucky drafting.

 

Oklahoma City inherited Seattle...and they also had a lucky couple years of drafting.

 

Memphis and Portland are good examples but I think they're like the Magic were a couple of years ago. Good teams but never make a push in the playoffs. Also it's a place where free agents are looking to go. Those teams got their talent via draft/free agency

[CTMagicUK 1,488]

If markets were that big of a deal 3 of the biggest In the nba wouldn't be sub 30 win teams.