As the NBA continues to shine after celebrating its 75th anniversary, and basketball fans build up to cast their votes for their favorite Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars, casual basketball fans understand that the NBA’s conference system is a fundamental part of the league’s structure, and it plays a crucial role in determining which teams qualify for the NBA Finals.
Of course, The Eastern and Western Conferences features a unique set of teams. However, there was a time since the NBA’s birth in 1945, that there weren’t any conferences. But before we dive into the rabbit hole of the differences between the conferences, let’s first explore their immense importance for the modern-day NBA.
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Purpose of Conferences
The NBA uses the conference system to organize its 30 teams into two distinct groups: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. This separation helps manage the regular season and playoff schedules, as well as travel logistics.
Regular Season
During the regular season, teams primarily play games within their own conference. This setup minimizes travel for teams and ensures that they face opponents of similar geographic proximity more frequently out of necessity.
Between 1949 and 1969, the NBA initially consisted of 17 teams, mostly located east of Missouri, with the exception of the Denver Nuggets. However, in 1966, the league began expanding rapidly by adding teams like the Chicago Bulls, San Diego Rockets (now the Houston Rockets), Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder), and Phoenix Suns in the far western part of the country. This expansion increased the need for realignment.
So in 1970, the NBA split into an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference to address the challenges of extensive travel. The league continued to grow, including the merger with the ABA in 1976, leading to the current configuration with 30 teams.
Playoff Qualification
The conference system determines which teams make the playoffs. The top eight teams from each conference, based on their regular-season records, qualify for the postseason. This means that the best-performing teams in each conference earn a spot in the playoffs. However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is experimenting with the traditional playoff format with the inaugural NBA-In Season Tournament.
Playoff Structure
The playoffs consist of a series of elimination rounds, with teams from the same conference initially competing against each other. The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference playoffs then face off in the NBA Finals to determine the league’s champion.
Differences Between Conferences
The Eastern and Western Conferences have distinct team compositions. While some teams have moved between conferences over the years, there is generally a geographic divide, with Eastern Conference teams located in the eastern part of the United States and Western Conference teams in the western part.
Competitive Balance
The competitive balance between the two conferences has shifted over time. Some eras have seen one conference dominating the other, while in other periods, the competition has been more evenly matched.
Conference Rivalries
The conferences have their own set of rivalries, which can make for exciting matchups. For example, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have a historic rivalry that often spills over into the NBA Finals when they meet.
Contrasting Styles
While both NBA Conferences today are three-point happy with less emphasis on defense, in the 1980s through the early 2000s, there were stark differences between the conferences. Throughout the 80s and 90s the Eastern Conference played a more physical brand of basketball, with The Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons and the New York Knicks standing out for their exceptionally physical style of basketball. In contrast, the “Showtime” Los Angles Lakers and The Portland Trailblazers played a more fast-break style of basketball in the 80s and 90s.
Which Teams of Today Standout?
With the 2023-2024 NBA season having tipped off, expectations are already running high for certain teams in each conference to make it to the NBA Finals. And while the NBA world is still digesting the blockbuster trade that sent James Harden from the 76ers to the Clippers, here are some of the teams expected to go far this season.
Eastern Conference:
1) Boston Celtics: The Celtics wasted no time in the off-season reloading their roster to make their second NBA Finals in three years. If their newly-traded-for and former All-Star, Kristaps Porzingas can stay healthy, he can provide that critical third-scoring option for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, to perhaps deliver Boston’s 18th NBA championship.
2) Miami Heat: Last year, the Miami Heat took NBA betting sites and the basketball world by surprise by becoming the second 8th seed in NBA history to make the NBA Finals. The heat didn’t make any major off-season moves, and they won’t be creeping up on anybody this year.
3) Atlanta Hawks: Some call Trae Young, Steph Curry Light, but basketball fans call Trae Young and his Atlanta Hawks serious Finals contenders. Since their stints as the Tri-City and St. Louis, these Atlanta Hawks seem primed to make their first-ever NBA Finals appearance.
Western Conference:
1) Denver Nuggets: As one of the few ABA teams to survive the ABA-NBA merger of 1976, the Nuggets have overcome decades of frustration and ineptitude to winning their first-ever NBA championship last season. Outside the re-tooled Warriors, Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets are the overwhelming favorites to repeat as NBA Champions.
2) Golden State Warriors: Two years ago, the Warriors won their fourth an seventh championship overall, despite not being expected to even make the Finals. If Chris Paul can stay healthy, he can make all the difference to help the Warriors win their eighth title in the history of the Philadelphia, San Francisco and Golden State Warriors.
3) Los Angeles Lakers: Last year, Lebron James surpassed other Laker legend, Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer, but his Lakers went down to the Nuggets in the Western Conference Championship. If Lebron and Anthony Davis can stay healthy, they might break their tie with the Celtics to win their 18th championship.
