The Eastern Conference has only won two championships since the Chicago Bulls 3-peat from '96-'98, and even in those years the West still dominated. Michael Jordan's departure has at times appeared to have permanently tilted the scale in the other direction. The Western Conference still has an abundance of good teams, but in Detroit and Boston the de facto NBA finals will no longer be the West Championship.
Last night the Pistons looked more than capable of handling the league's current dynasty. Powered by Rasheed Wallace's 23 and 15, Detroit had a 20-point lead in the 4th quarter. The lack of locker room cancer Chris Webber has allowed the team's chemistry to return to form. You don't want to take too much from a game in early January, but this road win should at least signal to fans that the NBA finals might be worth watching.
Oh, and then there's the Boston Celtics. 29-4 should speak for itself, even if it's against weaker competition in the East. So long as the Big Three are healthy come June, it'll be hard to pick against the C's. They disposed of the Pistons last week by 16. We'll wait to see how Boston stacks up against the West's best later this month and in early February.
Until then, I'm leaning towards an Eastern Conference NBA champion. You?
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