http://grantland.com/the-triangle/a-...nces-just-yet/
Interesting article.
It concedes the fact that there are too many strong teams in the West (a longstanding situation, pretty much constant since the Jordan Bulls were disbanded.
This might be the worst year for lopsided conferences, as the West has 8 legit title contenders, plus two decent playoff-worthy squads (New Orleans, Phoenix) who will likely miss the playoffs. At the same time, the East has 5 good teams and then a huge dropoff,
with the 8th seed likely to have an especially bad record.
However, the Grantland article says that this makes the regular season in the West more exciting, as you will have eight relatively equal teams jockeying for position, as well as two other wannabes knocking on their door.