Updated: October 9, 2001, 3:20 PM ET

Leastern Conference looking strong this year

After last season's West dominance, this year's East has taken steps to improve.

Print Share
Stein By Marc Stein
Special to ESPN.com
Archive

It was derisively dismissed as the NBA's Junior Varsity. The league's Battered Half. The Leastern Conference.

Vince Carter and Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem's no kid, but his presence makes Vince's job easier.

Harsh but fair, every cheap swipe.

Only now it's a new season, so fresh sniping targets are needed, mainly because the gulf between the conferences shouldn't be so pronounced this term. The Big Least can't be thoroughly clowned, looking at the way so many of its inhabitants have upgraded.

West is definitely still best, but the East is gradually getting better. Maybe even to the point that we can start planning for a Finals that lasts longer than five games.

A tad optimistic? OK, fine. At least let us suggest that regular-season dealings between West and East won't be so one-sided. Nothing as lopsided as 2000-01, anyway. The West's Fab 14 fashioned a cross-conference record of 259-161 last season, for a winning percentage of .617. It was actually just 11 of the 14 teams with .500-or-better records against the East, but that was plenty when you scan these numbers: Houston 25-5, Portland 24-6, Utah 22-8, Phoenix 21-9, Minnesota 20-10. None of those teams made it out of the first round of the West playoffs, and the Rockets didn't even make it to the post-season. Throw out Golden State (8-22) and the West's winning percentage zooms to .644.

Yet you can't see such punishment happening this time, with those fortified rosters in Toronto, Orlando and Atlanta. With upswinging Milwaukee and Charlotte close to intact. With Miami, New York and Indiana all still around, albeit closer to contending for the sixth, seventh and eighth seeds as opposed to bidding for Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

McKie
McKie

Guess we should also mention that banged-up, perpetually discounted team from Philadelphia, which did all right last season. Scary thought: They're already feeling insulted and, as usual, already carrying injuries (Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie).

A closer East inspection follows, with the standard disclaimer that injuries (not just in Philly) can and tend to change things:

  • Toronto is better just because it managed to keep all its free agents; Vince Carter, Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams and Jerome Williams form a nice quartet. The addition of Hakeem Olajuwon also won't hurt, since Hakeem, even at 38, ranks as an All-Star center candidate in a size-shy East -- as long as he avoids injury, of course. In the spirit of Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, we would have preferred to see Hakeem -- who already sports two rings -- finish his career in Clutch City. But no one ever asks our opinion, so we'll simply laud the Raptors and Glen Grunwald for their bold vision.

  • Orlando is better just because it has Grant Hill back, assuming Hill's ankle holds up. If it does, we proceed to the next source of curiosity: Doc Rivers' proposed big-guard lineup. Hill, Tracy McGrady and Mike Miller, on the floor at the same time? Sounds potent. Horace Grant and Patrick Ewing, meanwhile, will be asked to add up to one Antonio Davis, after the Magic failed to pry A.D. from the Raps. We're not sure about that one, but we do know that the Lakers' chief lament after a surprisingly productive off-season is how to replace the defensive presence and silent savvy Grant provided.

    Abdur-Rahim
    Abdur-Rahim

  • Atlanta is immeasurably better, even if it still doesn't have a dependable point guard. Jacque Vaughn will be given first crack, but it has to be a red flag that Utah, which will eventually need a new One in a couple years, was willing to let Vaughn go. The Hawks would understandably prefer to focus on what they do have, which is quality at the other spots. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, Toni Kukoc and Nazr Mohammed form another promising foursome. As long as they (specifically the middle two) get and stay healthy, since Kukoc isn't there yet.

    As for the rest ...

  • Milwaukee will be better, on the assumption it eventually signs Anthony Mason ... and finds a way to keep Sam Cassell quiet. Since Sam is bound to be unhappy contractually wherever he is, he'd be wise to just hope he gets to stay in Cheese Country long enough to play with Mase and George Karl's other free-wheelers

  • Charlotte will have to rely on internal improvement, as always, since we all know they don't splash out the cash, but there aren't many better launching points for internal improvement than Baron Davis.

    Mourning
    Mourning

  • Miami, for all it lost, still has an All-Star trio -- Alonzo Mourning, Eddie Jones and Brian Grant -- that can be as good as their health allows.

  • New York still has an imbalanced roster, but managed to replace Larry Johnson and Glen Rice with Clarence Weatherspoon, Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley.

  • Indiana? "Uncle Reg," as Killer Miller now calls himself, is bound to get more help from all the kiddies, specifically Jonathan Bender and Al Harrington. We still like the two lefties, too: Jalen Rose and Jermaine O'Neal.

    We should also probably make note of the big-name newcomers in New Jersey (Jason Kidd) and Washington (Michael Something). Oh, yeah: Almost forgot the Sixers, because, yes, it's a conspiracy, fellas: The media hates the Sixers. Except Pat Croce, who (gasp) is one of us now.

    Seriously, guys: There's no anti-Philly bias and no media-hates-East movement, either. All of last season's JV jibes were just the truth. Even Tim Hardaway knows it, a year removed from this straight-faced statement: "The East is going to be just as tough as the West."

    Hardaway really told us so at the Olympics, and, knowing his competitive spirit, he really believed it. Not any more, though. Tim Bug has defected to Dallas and at last concurs with consensus.

    The champion is coming from out West.

    Again.

    "The West is better," Hardaway says now.

    "But the East is going to be a lot better [than it was]," he continued. "Of course it bothers teams in the East when they hear the West is better. Nobody wants to hear that stuff."

    Good thing, then, that the Leasterners will be hearing it less this season. We think.

    Marc Stein, who covers the NBA for The Dallas Morning News, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.

    • ALSO SEE

    MORE NBA HEADLINES

    Insider

    MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM

    Most Sent »

    TOP STORIES FROM ABC NEWS