‘Milsap & Brewer: Rare Rest’ (Bill Baptist - NBAE/Getty Images)

There has been a lot of commentary on how close the Western Conference has been this year. When you take a close look at it, it is really quite amazing that there are only five and a half games currently separating the first place team from the eighth place team. Compare this with the Eastern Conference. The eighth place team is a full TWENTY-FIVE games behind the first place team. That is a substantial difference!

The question becomes: Does it hurt or hinder the Western Conference teams to be so close? There are arguments both for and against.

Arguments for include the fact that the teams must continue to play at peak performance in order to make it to the playoffs. There can be no slacking off. Players must come in and play hard for each and every game as if there playoff lives depend on it, because in fact, it does. To sustain play like that, at the end of a season, can serve to improve play–allowing players to weed out even small weaknesses. Coaches can benefit from the intense strategies that are required to continue being in the top eight . . . forcing coaches to really know who they will be playing and how to play them.

Having such a competitive conference can hurt teams as well. Keeping players healthy, both physically and mentally, when the pressure cooker has been on them for weeks on end, is quite a challenge. Keeping momentum and optimism when one loss can have such far-reaching consequences. The psychological stress of needing to play hard, without error, game after game after game can surely wreak havoc on the psyche of a player and a coach for that matter.

I envy the Eastern Conference teams. Really, the top eight are already decided. The top three teams are already guaranteed playoff positions. The only real chance for a surprise in the east would be the race for that eighth position between Atlanta (currently 8th) and New Jersey –one and a half games back. There has to be some advantage to being able to ‘take it easy’ for a while before the playoffs. No pressure. No fear of one bad game throwing you out of the running. Coaches can take time concentrating on playoff strategy rather than worry about actually getting to the playoffs.

What does it say when you have one conference so close and one so, well, not close? Does it mean that Boston is so superior to everyone that the rest of us should just go home? I argue NOT. I think it says that the East needs to step it up. If I were a fan from the East, I’d be sleeping through the season by now!

I’m glad we have a competitive conference. Regardless of whether the West ends up on top or not, it sure has been a fun season. Nail-biting, cursing, sweating, praying, cheering, crying, yelling, and all. As a fan, I wouldn’t want it any other way!