http://www.nola.com/hornets/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1090487197254090.xml Shaq switches conferences, but is he changing the balance of power? Hornets' move to West may not be as difficult as first thought Acquisition of O'Neal by Miami has Heat thinking NBA title Thursday, July 22, 2004 By John Reid Staff writer It's not quite like Hornets coach Byron Scott was dreading facing Shaquille O'Neal four times a season. Let's just say, as the Hornets head to the West, Scott is not unhappy O'Neal went to the East. "I'm glad we only have to play Shaquille twice now," said Scott, whose New Jersey Nets were swept by the O'Neal-led Lakers in the 2002 NBA Finals. "It makes the West a little lesser, which is fine by me." It's a basketball world out of kilter. The Diesel headed East, T-Mac went West, and Kmart followed. Add to that the fact that the NBA championship trophy resides in the East, and many people start thinking they're in the Twilight Zone. But, if anything's unchanged, it's that the 7-foot-1, 340-pound O'Neal, now in Miami, is the most dominant center in the NBA. Last year, when the NBA board of governors unanimously approved the Hornets' shift to the Western Conference, effective this season, many predicted the team would struggle because of the faster pace of play and number of quality teams. Now the Hornets' move to a Shaq-less Western Conference might not be so bad after all. At the same time, Scott knows it's a two-edged sword. That collective sigh of relief heard coming out of the West today could still turn into moans and groans in June when the NBA Finals roll around. Some are even arguing that, when O'Neal switched conferences, so did the balance of power. Chief among those making that argument is O'Neal. O'Neal -- who has averaged 27.1 points and 12.1 rebounds in 12 seasons -- vowed Tuesday, in a festive welcoming ceremony in Miami, that he will lead the Heat to the promised land. Whether he does or not, he's certainly shaken things up. While the Eastern Conference has the NBA champion in Detroit and the team with the league's best record in Indiana, it's still viewed as weaker, from top to bottom, than the West. Miami's upgrade might force teams in the East to strengthen their rosters with more high-profile players to contend with O'Neal and the Heat. "I kind of thought the East was getting better anyway last season," Hornets general manager Allan Bristow said. "When we were approved to be in the West, I heard a lot of people say that we needed to get bigger. But it looks like they have got real bigger in the East with O'Neal." For the past 20-plus years, the power in the NBA has shifted back and forth between the conferences. From 1989 to 1998, the East dominated, winning eight of 10 championships. From 1999 to 2004, the West won five of six titles, with a five-game streak coming to an end this season. "When we first came into the league we were put in the Central Division, and that's exactly where we didn't want to be. I mean because the Detroit Pistons had the Bad Boys and Chicago had Michael Jordan," Hornets owner George Shinn said. "Then it just shifted. It seemed like the teams in the West just started getting better and bigger, and it just became the dominant conference just like the East earlier." The West still offers plenty of challenges. San Antonio has Tim Duncan, one of the league's premier players. The Houston Rockets have improved with the addition of Tracy McGrady, whose 28-point average with the Orlando Magic last season was the highest in the league. The Minnesota Timberwolves still have Kevin Garnett, the league's MVP last season. The Denver Nuggets are likely to be among the top teams in the West after acquiring power forward Kenyon Martin in a trade with New Jersey last week. The Hornets will compete in the Southwest Division, which includes the Spurs, Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies, all playoff teams last season. "If there were two or three good teams in the East, there might be four or five now," Bristow said. "But there are still six or seven powerful teams in the West. I think a lot of it will have to do with where some of these (free agent) players end up." Meanwhile, the Hornets continue to retool their roster to get younger and more athletic. From the draft, they picked up J.R. Smith and Tim Pickett, who showed in the Southern California summer league that they can score and run the floor. On Monday, the Hornets signed Chris Andersen, a 6-10, defense-oriented backup center who can run. Last week, the Hornets signed Toronto Raptors restricted free agent Morris Peterson to an offer sheet. If the Raptors don't match the offer, Peterson can provide immediate help at shooting guard and small forward. Instead of having concerns, Scott can't wait to get started in the rugged Western Conference. "I know it's still 2 ½ months away and we're still trying to add pieces to the puzzle, but I'm excited about this season," Scott said. "Our motto is going to be, every day is a work day." . . . . . . . John Reid can be reached at [email protected] or (504) 826-3405. --

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