Are you really that dense? I've explained the disparity in records and winning percentages by the West as a function of the weakness of a greater number of teams in the conference, yet you still insist on comparing their records as apples to apples instead of apples to oranges.
I thought looking at common opponents a much more apple to apple than trying to use unbalanced schedules that includes "the weakness of a greater number of teams in the conference". But if you insist on that path we can explore it. Are those teams in the westr "worse" because they have to play 9 teams with .600 winning % 4 times each instead of playing only 3 teams with that level of winning?
Do you not understand that for 9 teams in the west to win 60+% of their games that they have to be beating up on weaker teams in the other conference also? If the east were really stronger than the top 2-3 teams then wouldn't more of them have .600 records or better? They should because then they should be beating the middle teams in the west and they are not.
It is harder to win in the East since there are three excellent teams and only one lousy one. It is easier to win in the West since there is only 1 excellent team and three awful ones. It's a simple as that and it's very basic analysis.
I don't understand why you can't see something that is so obvious.
Is it really that simple rick? You are only looking at the top and bottom of the standings. So what about the other 11 teams in each conference?
Is it easier for Boston to beat Chicago 3 of 4 games than it is for Houston to beat Dallas 3 of 4? Is Charlotte or Phoenix the tougher game - which would you have the Sixers play 4 times and which one twice?
Also it is important to point out that teams are usually more focused on their division and conference rivals. It's only natural, how much time should the coaching staff prepare for games against team's you see twice in a season, vs. 4 times.
Right. And which teams are harder to prepare for:
East: Atlanta, Miami, Philly, Detroit, Chicago, Charlotte
West: Denver, NO, Utah, Portland, Dallas, Phoenix
So which group of 6 would you rather see 20 times vs 10?
Add into that the fact that you see other conference teams in a series of games where you've played one or two games with no rest in between. On the road with all the traveling, when do you have time to practice, or prepare to play a specific team? You can bet that the Sixers would play the Golden State Warriors a lot better if they had to face them 4 times in a season, then they would make time to prepare and consider all the matchups.
Therefore, you can argue that all the interconference records are skewed or tainted to a certain degree- you aren't seeing the out of conference visiting team playing it's best basketball in many cases.
After 70 games this stuff is all BS to cloud the issue. All teams have gone through this. So I could now argue...based on your reasoning...that the reason the west has a worse conference record is because they have to focus more energy on playing tougher conference foes and don't put forth their best effort against the east.
Give me proof that the Sixers prepare more strongly for the Raptors or Knocks than they do for the Spurs or Lakers. Or at least come up with soemthing better than this weak crap.
You have explained jack!
I could argue in your same non-provable manor that the reason their are more teams below .400 in the west is because they have to play tougher teams more times. The lottery teams in the west have to play top 15 teams in the league more times in their 82 schedule than the eastern teams.
Just like it is your opinion that the Sixers would be much improved by playing GS twice more and saving 4 games against the top 4 teams. My opinion is that the Sixers also would be worse for facing Houston, Utah, Denver & NO 4 times each instead of Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago & Miami. And this is where you miss the point.
Look at those teams again: Is Bostons "great" record because they played .500 ball against the 4 western teams or because they played 9-3 against the eastern playoff teams. The reason I say the west is stronger is because in terms of playoff teams - the west has stronger teams than the east. And I have shown by using records against common opponents.
Your arguments have no support other than your say so.