Seats in 211 aren't seats worth fighting for. When we got to the game, the upper level was half full and there were all kinds of jackets and other items in our would be seats so we just sat in the row ahead of our assigned seats and had no troubles. That doesn't mean you'll be able to sneak into the lower level because they guard those sections very tightly and chances are, those seats will be taken.
The view from 211 is good, not great. Even if you sit dead center court on the upper level; how close are you actually going to feel to the game? You end up watching most of the game on the jumbo tron and at that point, why even leave the house? The seats are comfortable but the fans could certainly use more leg and elbow room. With many of the upper level seats coming in at less than $20 though, they're not going to give fans a whole lot to cheer about by way of comfort.
I don't really have any other NBA arenas to compare the Oracle too though I do plan on visiting Sleep Train Arena before the Kings move. I have been to the Staples Center but for a Kings game, not a Lakers game. That place blows the Oracle out of the water but it's brand new. The Oracle was erected in 1966. Even after it's recent renovations, it's still showing it's age in my opinion but a new arena is in downtown San Francisco is on the way.