Is the East really that scared of LeBron James?
Look what happened after James nearly swept his way to his seventh straight NBA Finals appearance:
The Chicago Bulls, who have been eliminated four times by James' teams, dealt Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves; the Indiana Pacers, likewise eliminated four times by James, traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder; the Atlanta Hawks, recently swept twice by LeBron's Cavs, let Paul Millsap walk to the Denver Nuggets, reportedly without making a contract offer.
Whatever the reason, the rich got richer. The Western Conference already was stacked, going 246-204 (.