Top East teams vs. the West from 2010-2014

[Roundball_Rock]

It has become an article of faith among many that the "Leastern conference" provides mere cannon fodder for the mighty West. Is this true, though? Some people suggest the top East teams would be borderline playoff teams in the West. So let's examine the top Eastern team's records against the West and compare it to the record against the West of the top Western teams. "Top team" is generally defined here as a team that had a top 4 record. If a team tied for 4th I included them, i.e. Portland in 2014.

2014

SAS 38-14 (73%)
OKC 36-16 (69%)
LAC 36-16 (69%)
[COLOR="Blue"]MIA 20-10 (67%)
IND 18-12 (60%)[/COLOR]
POR 31-21 (60%)
HOU 31-21 (60%)
[COLOR="Blue"]TOR 16-14 (53%)
CHI 13-17 (43%)[/COLOR]

2013

[COLOR="Blue"]MIA 25-5 (83%)[/COLOR]
OKC 39-13 (75%)
DEN 38-14 (73%)
LAC 35-17 (67%)
MEM 34-18 (65%)
SAS 33-19 (63%)
[COLOR="Blue"]IND 18-12 (60%)
NY 17-13 (57%)
BKN 13-17 (43%)
[/COLOR]
2012

SAS 35-13 (73%)
[COLOR="Blue"]IND 13-5 (72%)[/COLOR]
OKC 34-14 (71%)
[COLOR="Blue"]CHI 12-6 (67%)[/COLOR]
LAL 32-16 (67%)
[COLOR="Blue"]MIA 11-7 (61%)[/COLOR]
MEM 26-22 (54%)
[COLOR="Blue"]ATL 9-9 (50%)[/COLOR]

2011

[COLOR="Blue"]CHI 23-7 (77%) [/COLOR]
SAS 38-14 (73%)
LAL 36-16 (69%)
[COLOR="Blue"]MIA 20-10 (67%)[/COLOR]
DAL 35-17 (67%)
OKC 33-19 (63%)
[COLOR="Blue"]BOS 19-11 (63%)
ORL 16-14 (53%)
[/COLOR]
2010

[COLOR="Blue"]CLE 23-7 (77%)
ATL 21-9 (70%)
ORL 20-10 (67%)[/COLOR]
LAL 35-17 (67%)
PHX 35-17 (67%)
DEN 34-18 (65%)
DAL 33-19 (63%)
UTA 31-21 (60%)
[COLOR="Blue"]BOS 17-13 (57%)[/COLOR]

Some observations

*In 2014 the Pacers were comparable to the 54 win Rockets and Blazers, who were 4th and 5th in the West.
*The 14' Heat were comparable to the Clippers and Thunder. This is despite some people assuming those teams were a level above the Heat.
*In 13' the Heat steamrolled through the West. Their ECF opponent, who took them to 7 games, won 60% of games against the West. This is similar to the 63% win rate against the West of their Finals opponent, who also took them to 7 games.
*LeBron teams did better against the West than the East in 2014, 2013 and did the same against the West in 2010. Only in 2012 did a LeBron team do significantly worse against the West than the East.
*2012 had the most parity as the list alternates between each conference. The Pacers, who lost in the ECSF, won 72% of the time compared to 71% for the West champion Thunder.
*In 2011 the Bulls had the best record against the West, shattering the myth that the Bulls won the league's best record due to soft East competition.
*In 2010 the East's top teams actually had the edge.
*Some teams tend to fare better against the West and some worse. This is why you can't simply take a team's record and extrapolate from that what they would do in the West. Atlanta in 2010 and Indiana consistently performed better against the West than their records would suggest. On the other hand, the opposite was true for Boston.
*Chicago was very sporty against the West in 2011 and 2012 with Rose, which suggests that if Rose is back to form and they reach the Finals CHI will have a legitimate chance of winning.
*Generally speaking, though, the West teams had an edge.

[imnew09]

East sucks. This have been debated many times, proven many times, nothing else should be said or brought up anymore until the East gets better.

[JT123]

Those Western Conference stans avoiding this thread like the plague.

[JT123]

East sucks. This have been debated many times, proven many times, nothing else should be said or brought up anymore until the East gets better.

Then why are Kobe's Lakers always getting shitted on by Lebron's pathetic Eastern Conference teams?

[Roundball_Rock]

East sucks. This have been debated many times, proven many times, nothing else should be said or brought up anymore until the East gets better.

In what ways? Yeah, overall it sucks but its top teams are competitive with the top Western teams. 2014 is the only major blemish where the Raptors won only 53% against the West and the Bulls posted a losing record. In 2013 there was some separation as well but even then Indiana was similar to San Antonio. In 2012 and 2011 they were similar and in 2010 the East had the edge. I didn't do this for 2009 and 2008 because it is pretty much acknowledged that the East was pretty strong back then relative to what it has been in recent years.

Those Western Conference stans avoiding this thread like the plague.

[Legends66NBA7]

Those Western Conference stans avoiding this thread like the plague.

"*Generally speaking, though, the West teams had an edge."

[aboss4real24]

[COLOR="Magenta"]EAST>WEST[/COLOR]

[Roundball_Rock]

"*Generally speaking, though, the West teams had an edge."

Yeah but I think the idea that the East is vastly inferior even at the top is disproved by the data in the OP. The East had an edge in 2010, was equal in 2011 and 2012, inferior in 2013. Only in 2014 was there a big gap in favor of the West. There are people out there saying top East teams would not make the playoffs in the West or that the Pacers, Celtics, Bulls that the Heat beat were pushovers.

[AnaheimLakers24]

east is trash

[Legends66NBA7]

Yeah but I think the idea that the East is vastly inferior even at the top is disproved by the data in the OP. The East had an edge in 2010, was equal in 2011 and 2012, inferior in 2013. Only in 2014 was there a big gap in favor of the West. There are people out there saying top East teams would not make the playoffs in the West or that the Pacers, Celtics, Bulls that the Heat beat were pushovers.

I agree with the premise.

I've said all year that what really hurt the East last year was injuries. If they were healthy, it would have been a more formidable conference. Hoping that's the case next year.

[Lamar Odumbb]

East only plays 30 games vs the west.

West teams plays 52 games vs west teams

The Bulls played the west only 30 times. If they played the same amount of games vs the west as the Spurs, the Bulls record would be 56-26 using their 77 % win percentage. This means Bulls wouldve been a 5 seed out west in 2011

[SHABBA]

It was only really last season and perhaps the season before that the East was substantially worse. 2010-12 it was still worse but negligibly so.

[Roundball_Rock]

East only plays 30 games vs the west.

West teams plays 52 games vs west teams

The Bulls played the west only 30 times. If they played the same amount of games vs the west as the Spurs, the Bulls record would be 56-26 using their 77 % win percentage. This means Bulls wouldve been a 5 seed out west in 2011

The 11' Bulls had a better winning percentage against the West than the East. Your math is off. 77%=63-19 over 82 games. 68%=56 wins.

I agree with the premise.

I've said all year that what really hurt the East last year was injuries. If they were healthy, it would have been a more formidable conference. Hoping that's the case next year.

Yup. Look at how much better the East was when its teams were healthier.

[Droid101]

East is garbage, there's nothing to argue. Just go look at the records. Why is this a thread?

[Lebronxrings]

i've said this from the beginning east>West

Western conference cawksuckers keep with the "Better records" or "East is boring", blah blah.

East plays more defense. The west is factored more on fast breaks and offense. East is a MUCH more balanced conference in terms of a teams entire arsenal.
Ex. All star game, the eastern all stars wrecked the western fake "stars" by proving that when defenses get tighter, the fake stars get exposed.
*cough dubeta, cp2ndround, griffin, stat padder love, fake clutch lillard, coward, etc.