WC Parity

[AHF]

I can't ever remember a season with this kind of parity - where any of the 4 WC teams seems like a legit shot at making the NBA finals. The fact that the Warriors, Spurs, Thunder and Grizzlies are such different teams makes it all the more interesting. None of the 4 look like a good challenge for the Heat to me (although the teams with some interior strength could make it interesting), but I can't remember when this wide of a range of teams had totally viable odds to make the finals mid-way through the 2nd round.

I am not even sure which team I would pick to face off against the Heat if I could choose. (I will be rooting against the Heat). Duncan and the Spurs? Randolph and Gasol in Memphis?

I guess OKC seems the least interesting to me since I don't see them challenging Miami without Westbrook and at least I can conceive of the other teams doing some interesting things.

This could be a wild one in the West.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

I've had Spurs/Heat all season long, so that's who I'm rooting for. GS has no answer for LeBron or Wade and OKC has a broken wing with Westbrook out and Harden in Houston. Memphis is the biggest anti-Miami in the league and could prove to be a great finals if they advance. That team is tough as nails. Memphis matches up very well against Miami with Prince on LeBron, Allen on Wade, and Randolph on Bosh. Miami has no answer for Gasol. Hollins is also the better coach. I give Memphis a legit shot at contending this year, but their biggest problem is the lack of a go-to scorer. They don't have that guy anymore that can be relied upon in crunch time of a close game.

Edited May 13, 2013 by PSSSHHHRRR87

[AHF]

Sounds like a revisionist perspective to me. I guess since the Thunder won the West last year there must not have been parity because, well just look they did it! And the year before, well it just had to of been the Mavs because well look they did it!

I just don't buy this stuff, when you look backwards in time there always appears to be more certainty than there actually was.

This year even if the Pacers make the finals, I think halfway through the 2nd round of the playoffs that the Heat are the prohibitive favorite to win the East.

Last year, I thought the #1 seed Spurs and #2 seed Thunder were the favorites in the west coming into the playoffs. At this point in the second round, both of those series were already over (LAC was out; LAL were down 3-1). It was a two horse race and while there was real parity (both teams were viable contenders) it was only a two horse race - not the 4 team situation we have this season.

The year before, the Spurs, Lakers and Mavs were the top seeds. The Spurs were out in round 1. That left a Round 2 matchup of LA vs. Dallas to establish the favorite but by this point in the second round that series was over (Dallas swept LA). Dallas was the clear favorite to emerge from the West at that point and handled the young Thunder with little difficulty.

The year before that, the Lakers, Mavericks and Suns were the top seeds. By this time in the second round, LA had already swept and Dallas was out in Round 1. While the Suns swept, very few people considered them serious contenders in the West because they had washed out with the same lineup so many years before. To no one's surprise, LA went to the finals.

I think this year is genuinely different and it is the injury to Westbrook that is the main reason. Otherwise, the Thunder would be the clear favorite right now.

[Alex]

The west is a joke without RW in OKC's lineup. As much as it pains me to admit this...the Heat will once again be on top. The western conference has been exciting, but those teams are battling for the right to get swept in the NBA finals.

[EazyRoc]

The west is a joke without RW in OKC's lineup. As much as it pains me to admit this...the Heat will once again be on top. The western conference has been exciting, but those teams are battling for the right to get swept in the NBA finals.

Memphis has the size to beat them. Pavers do too. If this was just talent alone, I would say the road to a ring isn't as smooth as you think. However, it seems like the refs favor teams with superstar players over those without.

[macdaddy]

Memphis is kind of amazing. They trade their main scorer and get better. Of course getting a seasoned playoff vet like Prince was pretty shrewd.

[Alex]

Memphis has the size to beat them. Pavers do too. If this was just talent alone, I would say the road to a ring isn't as smooth as you think. However, it seems like the refs favor teams with superstar players over those without.

That is what I was getting at.