NBA playoffs fans have seen the Western Conference dominate the Eastern conference for the better part of a decade. And just when it seemed that the East might be gaining ground in the NBA playoffs odds the West went on a massive talent acquisition this spring. As a result, the West looks stronger than ever and could really put a hurting on its East coast rival in this year’s NBA playoffs.
NBA playoffs odds have been lopsided in recent years, to say the least. With the Detroit Pistons and a very lucky Miami Heat team the only two East teams to have won the NBA playoffs in the past ten years the West has dominated. So when the Western Conference teams went on a talent hunting binge right before the NBA playoffs trading deadline it was a case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Several high profile teams in the West added a top player from the East in order to improve their NBA playoffs odds and in the process weakened the NBA playoffs chances of the Eastern teams.
The Lakers pulled the trigger on a deal that sent All Star Pau Gasol to LA, a move that greatly improved the Lakers NBA playoffs hopes. While Gasol’s former team, the Grizzlies, isn’t in the East, this is widely considered the move that set off the West’s talent raid of the East. The Suns responded to the Lakers acquisition by getting a big man of their own in a move that has remains to be seen as to whether or not it actually improved the team’s chances in the NBA playoffs odds. The teams took Shaq from the Heat a team that had no hope whatsoever of reaching the NBA playoffs and further depleting the East’s NBA playoffs talent pool.
Also joining Shaq out west was Jason Kidd and Kyle Korver, among others. The Spurs also hoped to gear up for an NBA playoff run by getting several key back ups from Western Conference rivals. In fact, almost no team in the West has stood still when it comes to loading up on talent for the NBA playoffs and for the most part this has resulted in what is shaping up to be the most competitive NBA playoffs odds that we’ve seen.