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The Eastern Conference had been down for so long, there were times it was hard to believe the NBA's balance of power would ever equalize again.
All the talent and all the size kept going West. Shaquille O'Neal and
Tim Duncan kept going to the NBA Finals and doing chin-ups on championship series rims. Resistance was futile for the East.
Slowly, this has been changing, a fluid redistribution of talent and possibilities working its way back East. Once Shaq was traded to the
Miami Heat a year ago, everything tilted a little more. For the first time since the Michael Jordan Bulls, there's perhaps a genuine expectation that the champion will come out of the East.
As the amnesty cuts play out, and as free agents linger unsigned, here are 10 reasons the Eastern Conference has found its way back to NBA relevance.
Shaq's Selflessness: Well, yes, Shaq's giving back $10 million for next season to sign a five-year, $100 million extension doesn't make him an international aid worker, but it did spare the Heat cap space for
Antoine Walker and
Jason Williams. Together, they make the Heat the favorite to reach the NBA Finals and perhaps give Miami president Pat Riley that long-promised parade on Biscayne Bay.
More than ever, Shaq needs the help. The days of his most destructive dominance are done, yet he's still a largely unmatchable force. If Stan Van Gundy has, say, 10 minutes of trouble getting the self-absorbed Walker and Williams to play well with others, the ever-looming shadow of Riley's taking back his old job back will continue to undermine Van Gundy's coaching authority.
The Mirror Programs in Detroit and Indiana: For the first time in years, there are three legitimate championship contenders in the Eastern Conference. Make no mistake: The Pistons and Pacers are too tough and too resilient to fade far behind the Heat.
The Pistons' core is young enough, talented and committed to Detroit general manager Joe Dumars' old-school belief in team play -- never mind the "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" regime of the deposed Larry Brown.
And the best move the Pacers made toward a championship drive was no move at all: They kept
Ron Artest.
Grant Hill's Ankle: The Magic are the East's wild card, because if Grant Hill's ankle can make it through another full season (remember, it was his shin that cost him the final weeks of the regular season), they'll be a playoff force again.
Dwight Howard has the makings of a 20-10 star, and
Steve Francis allows Hill to be the best third option this side of
Richard Jefferson in the conference.
Two of the underrated moves of the offseason have been Orlando's bringing back Brian Hill to coach and the signing of Miami guard
Keyon Dooling. Coach-killing Penny Hardaway is long gone from Hill's first Magic incarnation, leaving him most grateful for a chance to return to the job that he never wanted to leave, to the city that he had still called home. Dooling gives Francis a chance to play away from the ball, which is where he belongs anyway.
The rest is in the link
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=wojnarowski_adrian&id=2136820
