NBA Finals Statistical Analysis: East vs. WestBy Jeff ZellWagerWeb.com Contributing Writer Throw out the teams, the coaches, the players, it's not like they matter. Check the size of Shaq, Dirk's jumper and Avery Johnson's whiny voice all at the door. All we need are statistics, cold-blooded statistics. Start sizing up the rings right now. Well, maybe not. Here's to statistical nuances that might leave you scratching your head. Conference Records: The win-loss record of an entire conference plays a significant role in how the conference champion fares in the NBA Finals. Whether it's having the battle-tested mentality on the way to the championship or just the daily grind of playing against better teams, the conference with the best season win percentage has won the NBA title 11 of the past 13 years. The 2004 Pistons and the 1999 San Antonio Spurs were the only ones to defy the odds. And for the record, the 1999 season was shortened due to the NBA lockout that canceled the first four months of that season. This season, the West held a 621-588 overall record, compared to a 588-642 East overall record. Are you ready to win some cash? WagerWeb.com has built a solid reputation by offering their customers quick easy deposits, the best customer service in the industry, fast payouts and great bonuses. They specialize in the European Market for all sports including one of the best Football/Soccer divisions with lines for all the Major Conferences from around the Globe! Visit WagerWeb.com Today and start Winning! Year Wins Losses NBA Title 2006 East 588 642 ? West 621 588 2005 East 584 646 West West 636 573 2004 East 559 671 East West 630 518 2003 East 575 655 West West 614 534 2002 East 593 637 West West 596 552 2001 East 566 664 West West 623 525 2000 East 598 632 West West 591 557 1999 East 379 371 West West 346 354 1998 East 648 582 East West 541 607 1997 East 647 583 East West 542 606 1996 East 619 611 East West 570 578 1995 East 550 598 West West 557 509 1994 East 562 586 West West 545 521 1993 East 583 565 East West 524 542 Advantage: Dallas Free Throw Champion: Believe it or not, the regular season free-throw percentage champion plays a quirky role in the NBA Finals. Yes, Steve Nash and his 92.11 percent free throw shooting this season were eliminated in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. However, in eight of the past 10 seasons, whichever player won the free-throw title, a team from the opposing conference player's team has gone on to win the NBA title. Wait ... what? That means players the Jeff Hornaceks, Chris Mullins, Allan Houstons and even the Mahmoud Abdul-Raufs have been of some importance in their careers. Now that the 2007 March Madness has arrived, we are ready to offer everyone college basketball predictions! Free Throw Champion Team (Conference) NBA Champion Conference 2006 Steve Nash Phoenix (West) ? 2005 Reggie Miller Indiana (East) West 2004 Peja Stojakovic Sacramento (West) East 2003 Allan Houston New York (East) West 2002 Reggie Miller Indiana (East) West 2001 Reggie Miller Indiana (East) West 2000 Jeff Hornacek Utah (West) West 1999 Reggie Miller Indiana (East) West 1998 Chris Mullin Indiana (East) East 1997 Mark Price Golden State (West) East 1996 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Denver (West) East Advantage: Miami Meaningless Game The midseason All-Star game has a bearing on the NBA champion. It's not as overwhelming as the MLB midseason classic, which determines home-field advantage in the World Series, but statistics do show a sign of correlation with a NBA title. Seven of the last 10 NBA All Star game winners have seen their conference go on to win the NBA title. Even though stars like Kobe, T-Mac, LeBron and A.I. just goof around on the court, in the books it matters a tremendous amount. The Eastern Conference won a snoozer this year, 122-120. Snoozer, because the game is a joke, not the score.  All Star Game Winner NBA Champion Conference 2006 East ? 2005 East West 2004 West East 2003 West West 2002 West West 2001 East West 2000 West West 1999 No Game West 1998 East East 1997 East East 1996 East East 1995 West West Advantage: Miami Defense Wins Championships: All right, enough of those obscure statistics. I'll give one that will allow you to actually use the teams involved in the final contest. If you've ever played a competitive sport, whether it's basketball, football, baseball or hockey, you've heard the old adage, "Defense wins championships." Unless you have Kobe and Shaq on the same team, it usually holds true. Eight of the past 11 NBA titles have been won by the team that has held opponents to fewer points-per-game during the regular season. Kobe and Shaq's Los Angeles Lakers defied the odds in 2002 and 2001, but it was the Spurs who defied the defensive odds (90.4-to-90.1) in 2003 to win the NBA championship. This year Dallas gave up 93.1 points-per-game to opposing teams, compared to the Heat's 96.0. Year Teams Opp PPG NBA Title 2006 Dallas 93.1 ? Miami 96 2005 Spurs 88.4 Spurs Pistons 89.5 2004 Lakers 101.5 Pistons Pistons 84.3 2003 Spurs 90.4 Spurs Nets 90.1 2002 Lakers 101.8 Lakers Nets 99.6 2001 Lakers 105.6 Lakers 76ers 99.5 2000 Lakers 98.4 Lakers Pacers 103.5 1999 Spurs 95.1 Spurs Knicks 97.3 1998 Bulls 99.7 Bulls Jazz 105.4 1997 Bulls 102 Bulls Jazz 104.3 1996 Bulls 101.2 Bulls Seattle 101.8 1995 Rockets 107.3 Rockets Magic 557 Advantage: Dallas The Pick My qualifiers have me twisting and turning on whom I should pick to win the title. Dallas has the common-sense statistics on its side: points allowed and conference record, but the curse of the free-throw shooters and All-Star game sides with the Heat. Am I superstitious? Well, I'm taking Miami in 6. 
--- by Jeff Zell at WagerWeb.com on June 05, 2006
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