Bulls doing their part in East's surprising resurgence
One of the surprising developments in all of sports this month is an unexpected shift in the NBA power base.
After years of inferiority, the East actually has stepped ahead of the West as the league's most powerful conference. Sure, it's only a few weeks into the season, but consider these unlikely facts:
• Through Wednesday, the East held a 39-36 edge in head-to-head meetings with the West. Remove Philadelphia and Brooklyn (a combined 1-11 vs. the West) from the equation, and the East's advantage is 38-25.
• If the season ended today, an East team with a winning record would miss the playoffs (Boston), while two teams with losing records would reach the playoffs in the West (Phoenix and the L.A. Clippers).
The last time a team with a winning record missed the playoffs in the East was 2005. A team with a losing record hasn't made the playoffs in the West since 1997, so we're looking at long trends potentially breaking.
TNT analyst Charles Barkley took notice of the sudden drop in West dominance.
"To be honest with you, if you look at the NBA this year, I've been very disappointed in the level of basketball," Barkley said Tuesday. "We thought the West was loaded."
Barkley cites the West's fade as a reason Golden State could reach 73 wins.
There is no obvious reason for the East's resurgence. The top two teams, Cleveland and the Bulls, essentially brought back the same rosters as last season.
If you had to pick a reason, it would be improved health. The current No. 3 and 4 teams in the East are Indiana and Miami. The Pacers' best player is Paul George, fully recovered from that gruesome broken leg. The Heat has Chris Bosh back after he missed most of last season with a lung issue.
The Bulls will get a good power-balance sampler in the coming days. They'll finish the circus road trip Friday at Indiana, which has won nine of its last 11 games. Then on Monday, the Bulls return home to face the No. 2 team in the West, San Antonio.
The Bulls did their part in restoring East pride by winning games at Phoenix and Portland. They also lost at Golden State, which is something every Warriors opponent has done.
Is the East really better this season? Well, let's take a very nonscientific rundown of how the teams match up:
No. 1: Cleveland vs. Golden State - Never count out LeBron James. Right now, though, the only team that stacks up well with the Warriors is the 1995-96 Bulls. Winner: Warriors.
No. 2: Bulls vs. San Antonio - We've talked about how the Bulls are trying to become the Spurs of the East. Lead assistant Jim Boylen spent the last two years working with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. It's conceivable to imagine Derrick Rose as Tony Parker, Jimmy Butler as Kawhi Leonard, Pau Gasol as Tim Duncan, Nikola Mirotic as LaMarcus Aldridge, Doug McDermott as a Matt Bonner-Danny Green mix.
The Spurs have won multiple championships with their group. The Bulls still are trying to get to the Finals. Winner: Spurs.
No. 3: Indiana vs. Oklahoma City - This ultimate small-ball stuff is working well for the Pacers so far, but it's difficult to imagine it stacking up in a seven-game series against Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Winner: Thunder.
No. 4: Miami vs. Memphis - This one probably would be close. The Grizzlies might be on the downside of their Marc Gasol-Zach Randolph run. But maybe not. The Heat got tougher inside by resurrecting the career of C Hassan Whiteside. Winner: Heat.
No. 5: Toronto vs. Dallas - The Raptors have had some good moments this season and nearly ended Golden State's unbeaten run. The Mavericks have been a pleasant surprise, but how much longer can Dirk Nowitzki go on like this? Winner: Raptors.
No. 6: Charlotte vs. Utah - The Hornets have turned it on after starting slowly. The Jazz is a team on the rise but may still be figuring out how to win consistently. Winner: Hornets.
No. 7: Atlanta vs. Phoenix - The Hawks were No. 2 in the East last year and probably miss DeMarre Carroll, now in Toronto, more than people expected. It feels like the Suns are in this spot only because other West teams have faltered. Winner: Hawks.
No. 8: Detroit vs. L.A. Clippers - After convincing C DeAndre Jordan to renege on his verbal commitment to sign with Dallas last summer, the Clippers appeared to be one happy family. In the heat of battle once again, things aren't going so well, and the Clippers' new additions of Lance Stephenson and Paul Pierce are struggling to fit in.
The Clips might figure it out eventually. Meanwhile, Pistons C Andre Drummond is easily the first-team all-NBA center right now, averaging 17.8 rebounds. Winner: Clippers.
So the informal rundown of teams came up as a 4-4 tie. The battle is not over, though. In the next few weeks, the Bulls will host San Antonio, Denver, Phoenix, the Clippers, New Orleans and Memphis, before visiting Oklahoma City on Christmas Day.
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Bulls scouting report
Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 7 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: ESPN 1000-AM
Outlook: The Bulls caught a break when they beat Indiana 96-95 on Nov. 16 at the United Center. The Pacers were missing PG George Hill and SG Rodney Stuckey that night. Heading into the rematch, Indiana (9-5) has won nine of its last 11. During a three-game winning streak since losing to the Bulls, the Pacers are averaging 119 points. PF Paul George continues his impressive return from a broken leg, averaging 25.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. SF C.J. Miles averages 15.9 points. Hill (14.0 ppg) returned Tuesday after missing three games with an upper respiratory infection.
Next: San Antonio Spurs at the United Center, 7 p.m. Monday
- Mike McGraw