um....actually, i didn't.
Let me go through this.
First of all, I said the Pacers and Pistons wouldn't get beat against the 5-8 teams in the west. Their combined record was 12-4. How does that prove that it would be a competitive series (7 games) and they'd POSSIBLY get by those teams?
Yup, I got served.
You guys proved my point.
as oppossed to indy playing what? philly for instance? how many times? the nets?
what team in the east would be a minnie to indy? how about a houston? who would be a denver??
and:
Who in the EC does Jermaine have to play tough defense against at the 4? Other than Sheed moving to Detroit during the season he didnt have to face serious post players.
All teams have to play the same 56 games, that's 68% of the schedule. To say they're untested is ridiculous. In the grand scheme of things, considering their record v. the west, the difference is 5 wins, at the max.
Sure looks extremely positive for the East's chances in the finals.
That's not what I said. I said 2 things, that they wouldn't be taken to 7 games by the 5-8 seeds in the west, and that they could hold their own with the lakers. You proved my point on the one, the other was proven right below you...
Pacers record against the four top western teams, minus Sacramento: 3-3
Pistons record against the four top western teams, minus Sacramento: 2-4
Seems like holding their own against minn, sa and la.
Furthermore, going 3-5 against the top 4 seeds in the west isn't getting smoked. it's one game away from .500 ball, which would if played as a series would qualify as evenly played.
Lakers record versus the East - 25-5
Kings record versus the East - 24-6
Wolves record versus the East - 24-6
Spurs record versus the East - 22-8
Mavs record versus the East - 19-11
Not all that much better than the Pacers 20-8 record against the west.
Of course, as you guys pointed out, the east is weaker. So what's a better statement of strength, 20-8 (71.4 winning %) against the strong conference or 19-11 (63.3%) & 22-8 (73.3%) against the inferior conference?
The Kings only lost to the Bucks at home this year- in their last home game against an Eastern team. Last year they went undefeated. Before losing to the Bucks, the Kings set the NBA record for consecutive home victories against the opposing conference.
What did this have to do with anything I said in my post?
If you want to trump up your team, by all means, do. But it doesn't dispute anything I said in my original post.
Nothing you guys have posted have disproved either of my statements:
1) That the Pistons and Pacers ARE better than the 5-8 seeds out west.
2) That the Pistons and Pacers could hold their own against the Lakers (and, as JoMal kindly pointed out, Minn and SA).
