First the Pacers finish the regular season with the best record. Then the Pistons win the NBA Title. Now Shaq is headed to Miami.

The West is definitely not the only ticket in the NBA anymore.

The East is still behind the West, but not for long. The Kings and Wolves are still great teams but are getting old quickly, while the Cavs and Magic will continue to get better. I think the quality in the NBA overall is rising because the first wave of young players out of high school are starting to mature. I think it will balance out in five years max, but for now the West is still superior.

In terms of overall depth, the West might be superior. However, an East team had the best overall record in the regular season and another East team is currently the NBA Champions!