Well, the NBA season is in full swing, and I have laid down my expectations. Usually in the NBA, and for a long time, the west was clearly the more dominant conference. It was an absolute bloodbath, where 48 wins were needed just to be in the playoffs. In the west, the top 7 teams are all hoping for a title. Typically, in the Eastern Conference, it's a whole lot easier. Last year there was really only Cleveland, Atlanta, and Chicago all with realistic hopes of winning a title. We also saw the Brooklyn Nets find there way into the playoffs after winning only 38 games. That, was last season, though. With all the surprises and disappointments in the league, (and a video I watched, which will be at the bottom) I'm starting to speculate. Could the east possibly be better than the west?
I'm not going to come out and say who I think is better until the end, but I will name the good's of the east and the bad's of the west. I want you to see it the other way around since many probably believe the west is still better. I believe that, too, but that doesn't mean it isn't cause for debate.
First, let's talk about the east. We knew Cleveland would be one of the best teams this year. We also were planning on the Atlanta Hawks being one of the best teams this season. Many immediately cap of those two teams as the only title contenders. Many are forgetting about the surprise team this year, the Indiana Pacers. Paul George is easily a top five player as of right now, and this team still looks like the team that put up a fight against the 2013 Miami Heat team. Speaking of South Beach, the Miami Heat are playing well also. When a team loses a player as good as LeBron James, it's not easy, and we saw that last year. But they still have a dynamic duo in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. You also cannot forget about Goran Dragic and also Luol Deng, who I think are both severely underrated. Another team worth mentioning is the Toronto Raptors. DeMar Derozan is an absolute beast, and I also really like the games from Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas (hopefully I spelled that right). Finally, you can't mention the east without mentioning the Chicago Bulls. Derrick isn't exactly himself, but that doesn't mean they can't compete. Jimmy Butler is great, and when you pair him up with a post game featuring Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, you've got a decent team. When you really expand and look at the east deeper, there is a lot of respectable teams.
Let's get into the Western Conference. Of course, the west has the best team in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry also will bring the MVP award to the west, which gives them another advantage. I'd even go as far as to say the San Antonio Spurs are second in the league, and the Cavs are sitting in the third spot. The problem in the west is they have had a lot of teams be disappointing up to this point. The Houston Rockets went downhill, and FAST. With a brand new head coach now in the mix, I think it'll take even longer than it should for them to be top class again. Another disappointment is the Los Angeles Clippers. I mean, they are loaded to the top with talent, but have only managed about a .500 record. I really was putting my faith into them thinking they would be great, but I'm still waiting for them to really start dominating. I'm starting to wonder if they'll get back to top class this season. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have been absolutely garbage, which was totally out of nowhere. I thought they'd be in the playoffs this year, but that hasn't happened and I doubt it will. So now we have teams like the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs, which makes them look a ton weaker. I love the Jazz, and I think they're alright, maybe a playoff team. Heck, I'd say they're only a couple years away from being contenders. but if they're a five seed this season, that right there might not say the east is better, but it does show the west has gone down from last year.
Is the east better than the west? I don't know. I don't think so. But many need to realize this isn't the bloodbath in the west and kiddie ride in the west. they've become pretty even. Although it may not be probable, it is possible we may see the east take control in the NBA.
Here is the video that i guess you could say inspired me to start looking deeper in the east vs west battle.
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First, let's talk about the east. We knew Cleveland would be one of the best teams this year. We also were planning on the Atlanta Hawks being one of the best teams this season. Many immediately cap of those two teams as the only title contenders. Many are forgetting about the surprise team this year, the Indiana Pacers. Paul George is easily a top five player as of right now, and this team still looks like the team that put up a fight against the 2013 Miami Heat team. Speaking of South Beach, the Miami Heat are playing well also. When a team loses a player as good as LeBron James, it's not easy, and we saw that last year. But they still have a dynamic duo in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. You also cannot forget about Goran Dragic and also Luol Deng, who I think are both severely underrated. Another team worth mentioning is the Toronto Raptors. DeMar Derozan is an absolute beast, and I also really like the games from Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas (hopefully I spelled that right). Finally, you can't mention the east without mentioning the Chicago Bulls. Derrick isn't exactly himself, but that doesn't mean they can't compete. Jimmy Butler is great, and when you pair him up with a post game featuring Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, you've got a decent team. When you really expand and look at the east deeper, there is a lot of respectable teams.
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