The Lakers have had some ups and downs within any given game, and yet ultimately win almost everything in sight. With Andrew Bynum back, Trevor Ariza in the rotation, and Lamar Odom trying to find his comfort zone, coach Phil Jackson has fine-tuning left to do. They should be more of a force than last season, seemingly on a collision course with Boston. But then again, look how that turned out in last season's Finals. The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, while both quality outfits, are in contention without either screaming out "conference imbalance." Denver's played tremendously well since obtaining Chauncey Billups, and Portland's a team on the rise. I'd say, though, that the Cavs could take either out in seven games, as could the Magic (who rallied to beat the Blazers on Dec. 9). Point being, the contrast is no longer so stark.

Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets will rise in the standings, and the Houston Rockets will either fall into the lottery or get everyone healthy, find their rhythm, and finish near the top while inspiring zero confidence. Utah is dealing with injuries; like NOLA (of course), the Jazz will pick up as Deron Williams rounds into shape and they get Carlos Boozer back (though Paul Milsap's no slouch). The San Antonio Spurs have injury issues, which should dissipate, and the Phoenix Suns can't stay this rumpled forever, can they?

But in this mess of qualifiers, we find the real message of the season. The East, for the first time in years, inspires confidence. The West, on the other hand, has question marks and best-case scenarios surrounding it. The gap between good and bad remains more daunting in the East; there will be Eastern playoff teams that have no business being there. However, there's power being consolidated up at the top, while the West's top-to-bottom onslaught is looking increasingly mortal. In the past, we've heard the theory that a Western field could exhaust itself between the grueling regular season and the playoffs — somehow, the Celtics almost accomplished this last year.

In 2008-09, the East is in the unique position of having enough legit teams to matter, while still fielding plenty of dross. It's too simplistic to say the balance has shifted. Certainly, though, the East is no longer a second-rate bunch. And in the end, a conference is judged by the teams at the top, provided there's enough them. The East has several that could sniff that No. 1 spot; the West, maybe fewer, and a bunch of deadly nuisances. This may still mean the West is best, but at very least we've got to take a good chunk of the East seriously again.

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