Point Differential

[benhillboy]

We back even! Am I the only one who finds it amazing this team can score 101.5 a night? Only Denver and Phoenix are as impressive based on their talent. 2 questions:Does the West play a faster pace top to bottom?Is there anything in the schedule suggesting the East could close the embarrassing record gap? Everybody got the Lakers coming up twice or something?

[lethalweapon3]

Was just looking at Net Rating (offensive rating minus defensive rating) and despite the freefall we're still 5th in the East with a +0.3 per 100 possessions (based on NBA.com stats, not Basketball-Reference's). For whatever it's worth, only 5 teams in the East have a positive net rating.

8 of the Top 10 teams in terms of highest pace are Western teams, the two in the East apparently aren't doing it right (76ers and Pistons). Atlanta (12th in pace) is the only team currently in the East's Top 8 that also ranks in the top half of the league for pace.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Also found this interesting:

http://playoffstatus.com/nba/westernsosag.html

Look at the "League" rank columns.

http://playoffstatus.com/nba/easternsosag.html

Not only are they suggesting the Hawks' strength-of-schedule is the toughest in the East... are they suggesting the entire East's SoS is worse than that of the West? I have no idea about the calculus behind those rankings.

~lw3

[SalvorMallow]

Also found this interesting:

http://playoffstatus.com/nba/westernsosag.html

Look at the "League" rank columns.

http://playoffstatus.com/nba/easternsosag.html

Not only are they suggesting the Hawks' strength-of-schedule is the toughest in the East... are they suggesting the entire East's SoS is worse than that of the West? I have no idea about the calculus behind those rankings.

~lw3

Yes because west teams play west teams more often, increasing the SoS.

[macdaddy]

For a franchise that struggled to score when it counted in the past it is awesome to watch an offense function almost regardless of the personnel. I know its obvious but without all these injuries...