I’m not sure what to be done about this situation, but if you look at the playoff picture today, this is what you see…

In the Western Conference, 9 teams are above .500. In order of record, you have San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, L.A. Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets. Only 8 of them can get into the playoffs. Which one doesn’t deserve to make it in? I like all of those teams. (If I had to vote out a team, I’d vote that New Orleans chokes again and we have the same 8 teams in the playoffs — and I don’t think that is really a bad thing.)

In the Eastern Conference, 4 teams are above .500.

Only 4!

Count them for yourselves. Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors.

That’s 4!

You get one more if you allow teams at .500, because the Washington Wizards are currently sitting at 9 - 9.

Every year we have this disparity! Every year we have sub-.500 teams making it into the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference! (Sometimes we have them as the 7th and 6th seeds as well.)

Every year, the Western Conference finals and semi-finals are more of a matchup than the Eastern Conference finals.

Heck, the first round of the playoffs in the Western Conference is more exciting than the Eastern Conference Finals, if you get right down to it!

Isn’t there a way we can make the Eastern Conference worth watching? (And I do mean worth watching, because not only are the teams worse, but the games are BORING!) Outside of the Celtics and Magic, is there any team that will actually be fun to watch!

I constantly wonder why more superstars aren’t moving East because LeBron was able to get to the playoffs by himself last year. LeBron is pretty good, but he made it BY HIMSELF — and in a team sport, last time I looked.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are likely to trounce every team up until the Eastern Conference finals if they can stay healthy.) Heck, Orlando had such a poor showing in the playoffs last year, you wonder if they will even make it to the Eastern Conference finals to make it interesting.)

If Boston were in the West, Kevin Garnett would likely make another first round exit. Yet the simple move to the east coast means he is likely playing in the NBA Finals — where anything could happen. Right? (Just ask the Miami Heat about that.)

Well, unless something is done to shake up the playoff picture, I think we are going to continue to get more of the same.

I guess it isn’t all bad, though.

The Western Conference picture is shaping up to be an exciting playoffs.

And more importantly…

At least, we don’t have computers deciding who is playing in the NBA Finals.