It seems to be pretty much team wide. I think Chandler might have helped, but it would not have been enough. OKC is just plain better this year.
I think Chandler's deal is about right, Amare's is the scary one.
The EC really misses Howard and Rose. Their teams might be eliminated in the first round(Bulls might find a way to win). Indy against Miami could be interesting because they are such different teams(star-based heat and "no-name" Pacers). I agree though that the Western Conference looks a lot more interesting.
This is why Dallas won last year. Dirk completely dominated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM9MYvoQn8M
Dirk is 8 points below his average last year. Not to mention his defense has been extremely poor.
As for Chandler's deal, its not that bad this year, but hes on the decline now. No way hes worth anything close to it in 2 or 3 years. Thats 14&14.5 million. Hes already starting to have knee problems.