As we near the start of the New Year and the NBA’s stretch run, we handicap the Eastern Conference early-season playoff picture
The NBA’s Eastern Conference is like the Republican Party. Aside from one big name, it’s light on heavy hitters. But unlike the West, with three of the top four teams in the league, the East is definitely loaded with depth.
It flaunts an 84-81 record against the Western Conference with 10 teams above .500. The “Leastern Conference” is back, and might I suggest in need of a new nickname.
But with more depth comes a muddled playoff picture. Squads jockeying for spots; the playoff standings shifting as fast as political opinion polls.
In an attempt to figure out what’s real and what isn’t in the suddenly too-close-to call Eastern Conference, let’s handicap this race and lay out some of the nice surprises that have fueled the East’s resurgence. We’ll leave out the Cleveland Cavaliers because, like Donald Trump, they absorb most media coverage already and will undoubtedly be there in the end.
Next: Toronto Raptors