I'd say that the top six teams in terms of healthy talent/coaching at the beginning of the season were in no particular order:
Spurs
Lakers
Thunder
Mavs
Jazz
Thuggets

Two of those teams just sold off their best players to the East. No chance on the other 4 doing it. Makes for a very top-heavy conference, when the last decade or so the West has been very deep with .500+ teams missing the playoffs.

I guess that doesn't include Phoenix letting go of
Amare
Marion
Shaq
Joe Johnson

Agree

Off the top of my head, in the last couple years of top players leaving teams from the West.

Amar'e (and Richardson) from Suns

Carmello and Billups from Denver

Deron Williams and Boozer (Korver) from Utah

3 of the top 8 since last year's playoffs. That's quite a change, and I'm probably leaving somebody else out.

[This message has been edited by Iowaggie (edited 2/23/2011 11:03a).]

And Portland losing Roy and Oden to death.

I love how last year when the big superstar FAs were in the East their teams held onto them and now the West is trading away their stars for ****ing spare spare parts

Not just in weakening the west, but players who have left to strengthen the east:

Kevin Garnett (Minny) and Ray Allen (Seattle) to Boston

Rashard Lewis (Seattle) to Orlando

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I love how last year when the big superstar FAs were in the East their teams held onto them and now the West is trading away their stars for ****ing spare spare parts

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Its not spare parts yet. Utah may still flip Harris and Favors for white guys.

So, any word if D-Will will sign an extension (was that part of the deal)?

He's risking a lot if he doesn't.

Also, the Nets probably did a decent job of driving up the Carmello price to their rival.

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Ray Allen (Seattle) to Boston

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he was traded for Jeff Green

quote:

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he was traded for Jeff Green

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Jeff Green, WallyZ, Delonte West AND a second rounder.

Then they turned around a flipped WallyZ and Gloria West for Adrian Griffin, Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble.

It's possible the entire southwest division makes the playoffs at this rate...

Without looking into any numbers, it seems that the West has had more good teams than the East for a long time. Even going back to the Bulls titles, the West had the Blazers, Sonics, Jazz, Suns, Rockets, whereas in the East it was pretty much the Bulls and Cavs/Knicks/Pacers (I guess).

Heat was good for a few years in the 90s as well.

Yeah, but you have to think of Ray Allen moving East as strengthening the west, because Seattle (Now OKC) ended up with Kevin Durant as their draft prize. No way they were 2nd in the lottery with Allen there.

Also, the Clippers have been slowly getting stronger and should be a playoff team next year. That will pick up slack for Utah dropping.

If the Clippers are a playoff team next season, they'll be a 7 or 8 seed. Blake Griffin has made the Bill Simmon's interweb boner list and, as a result, the Clippers have become very much overrated by the masses. They have some exciting players and all, but that team isn't very good and is probably 2 years away from being anywhere close to a team better than 1st round fodder for a team like San Antonio, Dallas, or the Lakers to fart out.

I didn't say they'd challenge for the crown. I said they'd be a playoff team to replace Utah. Utah never challenged for the championship either. They were just 1st round fodder as well. Not sure what counterpoint you are making.

My point is just because a team is a playoff team, doesn't mean they add much quality to a conference. Take seeds 6-8 out of the Eastern Conference over the past 8 years or so for example. The Jazz might not have been a championship contender, but 3 out of the last 4 years they made at least the conference semi's and constantly gave the bigger teams in the conference a good fight in the playoffs at least. The Clippers aren't replacing that for a while.

Seeing as how the West's best player is aging quickly and 2 of probably the best 5 or so just left the conference, I think it is pretty apparent that the West is about to start a tumble to the much weaker conference of the 2.

[This message has been edited by ATM9000 (edited 2/23/2011 8:29p).]

There wasnt room for Derron Williams and Jimmer Fredette in the same backcourt. When the Jazz draft him this year they will be in position to become the next great NBA dynasty.

East coast media bias pays well!