Happy 37th, LeBron. You're in the West!

LeBron James can't point to much going his way these days as his birthday nears, but here's one unexpected development in his favor: The Western Conference is weaker than it's been for ages

Young doesn't win in the NBA.

That well-worn aphorism has bounced around #thisleague for so long that the Los Angeles Lakers felt sufficiently secure to take their team-building to an extreme in the opposite direction by assembling a roster featuring 10 players in their 30s.

Just a few months later, mired at 16-18 and careening toward LeBron James' 37th …