West definitely best in NBA

They might as well call the Eastern Conference the minor league of the NBA. The far superior records in the Western Conference are proof that the West is not only better than the East, it is worlds apart.\nComparing the West with the East is like comparing the Big Ten Conference with the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference. Even that might be an understatement.\nNot that anyone is paying attention to the NBA right now -- nor should they as long as the NCAA tournament is still playing out -- but the extremely unequal status of the league is worth noting. As of Monday, the top eight teams in the Western Conference had a combined record of 361-191 (170 games more than .500), compared to 322-232 (90 games more than .500) for the top eight teams in the East. \nThe regional disparity is even more evident when you look at how the conferences have fared head-to-head. The top eight squads in the East have a losing record against the entire Western Conference, winning 99 games while losing 108. As expected, the eight best teams in the West have dominated their Eastern Conference opponents, going a combined 159-64.\nThe two teams tied for the eighth playoff spot in the East -- the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics -- are each seven games less than .500, at 31-38. Out West, Houston has a solid 38-32 record, but the Rockets are currently sitting in ninth place, which would leave them out of the playoffs. \nIf the Pacers and Celtics played in the West, their records would be good enough to place them 11th, trailing the eighth-placed team by 10.5 games. With only 13 games to play, they would have virtually no chance to make the postseason. Place Indiana and Boston in the Midwest Division instead of the Central and Atlantic, and their current resumes would place them in seventh place. The only team below them in the division standings would be the soon-to-relocate-to-Memphis Vancouver Grizzlies. Lucky for the Pacers and Celtics, they play their home games in the inferior half of the country, at least when it comes to professional basketball.\nConsider Charlotte lucky as well. The Hornets are sitting in fifth right now at 40-30, a record that wouldn't secure them a playoff spot in the West if the playoffs started today. But the Hornets are in second in the Central Division and are only two games out of hosting a first-round playoff series.\nThe logjam at the top of the Western Conference is impressive. Only seven games separate the top eight teams (17 games separate the East's top eight). Being such a close race, the eventual playoff match-ups in the West are far from being decided. San Antonio has a slim one-game lead over Utah right now for the top spot. Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the Pacific Division lead, each only two games back of the Spurs and one behind the Jazz.\nEven though who will end up playing who is still up in the air, one thing has been relatively agreed upon by those who follow the NBA: no one in the East, outside of Philadelphia, has a realistic shot at winning the NBA title; but in the West, five or six teams are viable contenders. The Western Conference Finals will essentially be the NBA Finals.\nIf the playoffs were to start today, some intriguing first-round series would take place. Among them:\n• No.1 Philadelphia vs. No. 8 Indiana. The Pacers have eliminated the Sixers in the second round the last two seasons, but the third go-round will have a different look to it. Allen Iverson has finally learned how to be a team player and has led Philly to the top of the conference. With home-court advantage, the Sixers should be hard to beat, especially with the inconsistency and youth of the Pacers. But never underestimate Reggie Miller. Right now, the Pacers are more concerned with making the playoffs.\n• No. 3 Utah vs. No. 6 Dallas. This series would offer an interesting clash between the old guard of the NBA and the up-and-comers. This could be the last chance for Karl Malone and John Stockton to win that ever-elusive title, but the play of youngster Donyell Marshall will be key to how far the Jazz advance.\n• No. 4 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 5 Portland. In a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals, the Blazers would be looking to exact revenge on the team that recovered from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 7 to beat them and advance to the NBA Finals. Phil Jackson has about three weeks to get Shaq and Kobe on the same page. The winner of this series could meet San Antonio in Round 2.