Did it work? Not so far, and I think in the end it was a mistake, but they didn't sit on their thumb.
That is the point which you seem to not be able to grasp.
Sure I am using a bunch of anecdotal examples to make my point. I am not saying Dallas made the right decision. I am saying the West is better and has been better, because they don't have a bunch of GM's who sit on their thumb. Some of the Western GM's are dumb, and make bad moves. The knuckleheads like McHale eventually drop to the bottom because they aren't that smart, and they aren't able to make the moves that make a difference. In total the west is better, because the teams in the West are willing to take a chance, which forces other teams to take a chance, which continually lifts the level of play and competition, which makes the conference better overall.
In other words, my premise is the preponderance of the decisions made by WC GM's are better than those made by EC GM's, because they are better at their jobs, and because they push the envelope. It doesn't have to be a zero sum game, you can in fact make the pie bigger.
