In this week’s installment of our NBA Power Rankings, the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers each made big moves at the trade deadline
If one thing’s certain heading into the second half playoff push, it’s that the Eastern Conference is wide open and that was very much evident at the NBA Trade Deadline. And each of the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers made moves to signify that.
The Raptors added Marc Gasol, while the 76ers traded for Tobias Harris and the Bucks made the move for Nikola Mirotic. These are three of the four teams in the East that could legitimately come out of the conference this season – the Indiana Pacers would likely be included in this group, had Victor Oladipo not gotten injured.
Question is, after each team made their move in the Eastern Conference arms race, which will emerge as the favorites to represent the conference against the Golden State Warriors? And let’s not forget that the Boston Celtics will have a say in who comes out of the East, once the playoffs begin.
We explore all that and more (including where every team stands now that the trade deadline has come and gone) in this week’s edition of our NBA Power Rankings.