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Arms Race
Published: 2/19/2008 10:28 AM
Last Modified: 2/19/2008 10:28 AM

Imagine what the balance of power would be like in the NFL if Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson all got traded from the AFC to NFC squads.
Welcome to the NBA.
In the past few weeks, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol and -- it appears -- Jason Kidd have been traded from Eastern Conference teams to Western Conference teams. The rich got richer and the West's superiority seems bigger than ever. Keep in mind that Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, the top two picks in the 2007 draft, also went to western squads, so the future seems brighter out west, too.
When the dust settles, who will benefit from the Western Conference arms race? The Celtics.
With Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Celts may have enough star power to cruise through a watered down east. Meanwhile, western teams will beat each other up during the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. The Celtics haven't won a championship since Larry Bird was wearing Converses. Let's see if they can win one in this millenium.






Reader Comments 3 Total
Eric Wiles (5 years ago)
Pau Gasol, came from the Western Conference, not the Eastern Conference
Jimmie Tramel (5 years ago)
Eric: Thanks for setting me straight. Memphis "feels" more East than West since it's smack dab on the Mississippi River and I got suckered by geography.
Mark V (5 years ago)
After watching last night's Lakers - Suns thriller, I'd have to say that the Lakers are the team to beat.

They have more flexibility as far as their roster, and can play at all speeds. They're good offensively (scoring 130 points last night), and play good defense. And, Kobe is having an MVP-type season.
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Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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