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Daily NBA Fix: The Eastern Conference Isn’t a Joke Anymore

By Ben Gibson

Nov 9, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) wears a 34 patch in tribute to former Indiana Pacers center Mel Daniels (34) during a game against the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) wears a 34 patch in tribute to former Indiana Pacers center Mel Daniels (34) during a game against the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Every NBA article from before New Years Day should come with a small sample size warning, but I believe after two weeks we can say at least one thing.

The Eastern Conference is no longer a complete joke.

The past few seasons the Eastern Conference was all but a forgone conclusion. Two seasons ago the only question was whether Indiana Pacers, who were struggling in the second half of the schedule, could still make it to the Eastern Conference finals. Many young teams challenged them, but ultimately everyone knew it was LeBron James and the Miami Heat’s to win as Indiana barely made it to the ECF.

Last year it was still about LeBron James (but now with the Cleveland Cavaliers) as injuries removed several teams from the mix it looked like only the Washington Wizards or Atlanta Hawks might be the only possible threat, but they still weren’t. It is different now.

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The Cavaliers are still the lead dog in the pack with their three superstars, but the road to the finals looks a bit rockier than last season. It is no surprise that the Hawks will likely still play a part as they sit ranked No.2 in the conference right now as the bring back a team that went to the conference finals a season ago.

But after the two conference finalists is where things get more intriguing. The Toronto Raptors made a few moves to retool their 49 win team from last season and like many of these younger teams are starting to turn the corner as they grow into being veterans. They’ve also added DeMarre Carroll to bolster a defense that slipped to the bottom third of the league last season.

Currently ranked fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth is the rest of the Central Divison and all of them could remain in the playoff picture for several different reasons, starting off with the Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose‘s health is always a question mark, but the rise of Jimmy Butler into an all-star quality player helps make up for any Rose absence. And that’s if Rose it out. The Bulls still have Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Nikola Mirotic. Went you put that all together you have a team that won’t easily be knocked out in a seven game series.

The Detroit Pistons are emerging as a force of nature behind Andre Drummond‘s nearly 20 points and 20 rebounds a game. It is of little surprise that Stan Van Gundy has begun to turn this team into a playoff contender behind a monstrous center. As long as Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continue to score this team will remain in the hunt.

The young Milwaukee Bucks made it to the playoffs last season without having their lottery pick Jabari Parker in the mix after an injury effectively took away his rookie season. The rest of the starters form an inexperienced but very talented core with, Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, Greg Monroe, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

But they may respectably be one of the weaker teams in the Central Divison now that Paul George has returned to the Indiana Pacers. Indiana added Monta Ellis in the offseason as they completely retooled their roster and George Hill is continuing his hot streak from last season. They’ve pressed the Cavaliers to the limit and beat the Miami Heat so far to announce they aren’t planning to be a lottery team again.

The Heat are back too with Chris Bosh healthy and a savvy veteran in Dwyane Wade. Hassan Whiteside is emerging as one of the league’s better centers while Goran Dragic adapts to being the team’s playmaker. Justice Winslow looks much better than you average rookie as well.

Currently on the outside looking in are the John Wall and the Washington Wizards, but I doubt they’ll be there for long either as Bradley Beal is growing into his potential as a player. The young Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic are improving too, but it’s yet to be seen if they’ll be in the mix.

It is early, and the Western Conference is still superior, but it looks like the Eastern Conference’s playoff race won’t be a sad joke this season, and might actually be a little fun to watch too.

He was a No.1 Pick for a Reason

His teammate Zach LaVine may get all the attention for his dunking, but Andrew Wiggins isn’t such a bad dunker himself as he showed with this powerful slam against the Atlanta Hawks. The Timberwolves won 117-107.

The Timberwolves are on the rise and capable of making the playoffs in the Western Conference if their young core continues to develop.

Mudiay’s Game Winning Block

Sometimes a block is just a block. Sometimes it’s next to useless because it’s done with so much force that it goes out of bounds and is still the offense’s ball.

Other times Emmanuel Mudiay shuts down a driving Damian Lillard to preserve the Denver Nuggets 108-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.