Shep wrote:tell me what east team ,if there was no chicago, would win the championship in the '90's.....then i'll laugh at you
You are trying to say the West was stronger than East during the 90s, except for the Bulls?
Well first of all the West was not stronger than the East because they only won 3 titles and the East won 7. (Detroit 1990, Chicago 1991-93, 96-98, Houston 1994-95, San Antonio 1999)
In 1991 the Lakers yeeked out game one of the Finals then got swept for 3 in a row, including two at home, the Bulls swept the 2-time NBA Champions Detroit that year, the Pistons had proven to the Lakers that they could beat them, so I believe Detroit could have won the championship in 1991 over the Lakers.
If the Blazers or Suns played that very tough Knicks team in 1992 or 1993 would they beat them? (as stated above)
Could the Blazers beat Cleveland in 1992, Blazers won 2 games, Cavs won 2 games vs. Bulls, Knicks won 3. 1993 saw the Suns win 2 games and Knicks won 2 games vs. Chicago.
In 1996 I believe it comes down to match-ups, could Seattle match-up with Orlando or New York? Edge somehow to Seattle by wnning two games vs. Chicago. But I would like to have seen Orlando and Shaq against Seattle.
1997 I might begin to believe this theory, Miami reached the East Finals, compared to Utah vs. Houston in the West.
In 1998 the Pacers pushed the Bulls to the limit, winning 3 games in the East Finals, while Utah managed 2 wins and this:
June 7: Sun., Utah *54 at Chicago 96.
So in 1994, 1995 and 1999 the West won.
1994
saw Houston lose 3 games to the Knicks.
No other Champion needed 7 games during the decade.
1995 sweeps abounded for the Rockets, finally a team you can hang your Western Conference hat on.
1999 San Antonio need only 5 games to dump the Knicks, and thus the West's stranglehold begins, in 1999, not before and not since 1980s was it even close.
Teams that reached the Finals and their records
Chicago 24-11 (6-0 in the Series)
Houston 8-3 (2-0)
Detroit 4-1 (1-0)
San Antonio 4-1 (1-0)
New York 4-8 (0-2)
Utah 4-8 (0-2)
Portland 3-8 (0-2)
Phoenix 2-4 (0-1)
Seattle 2-4 (0-1)
Lakers 1-4 (0-1)
Orlando 0-4 (0-1)
East 32-24 (7-3)
West 24-32 (3-7)
1990
1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 & 1998
1994 & 1995

1999