#1 Overall Picks by Conference: The gap is insane
Here’s every #1 pick in the last 20 years that each conference has gotten
West
Greg Oden
Blake Griffin
Anthony Davis
Karl Anthony Towns
Deandre Ayton
Zion Williamson
Anthony Edwards
Victor Wembanyama
Cooper Flagg
East
Andrea Bargnani
Derrick Rose
John Wall
Kyrie Irving
Anthony Bennett
Andrew Wiggins
Ben Simmons
Markelle Fultz
Cade Cunningham
Paolo Banchero
Zaccharie Risacher
When the West gets the 1OA there’s a good chance there’s a franchise changing guy like AD, Wemby, or Flagg available. Zion/Oden were also generational but disappointed because of injury/Moriah Mills. Meanwhile when the East gets 1OA they have to pick through a pile of doodoo, and most of the little elite talent get their career wrecked by injury (Wall/Rose). Cade is the only exception, assuming (and hoping) he stays healthy. The talent gap between conferences is partly related to this, just blind luck in what years that conference gets the top pick.