When the last NBA season concluded, the Philadelphia 76ers sat atop the Eastern Conference with a 49-23 record. They were followed by the Brooklyn Nets, the soon-to-be champion Milwaukee Bucks, and, if you can believe it, the New York Knicks.
The seventh seed in last year’s East, the Boston Celtics, were13 games behind the 76ers.
At this point in the current NBA season, the seventh-seeded Toronto Raptors are just five games behind the number-one-seeded Miami Heat, which is absolutely insane.
This year’s battle for the best record in the Eastern Conference has been the most fantastic ride the NBA has seen in ages. At different points in the season, a variety of teams have been number one. And now, as the league enters the post-All-Star break grind, the top seed could still be up for grabs.
The NBA playoff race in the Eastern Conference is insane
When the season ends, the Phoenix Suns will most likely be number one in the West. They are currently 6.5 games ahead of the second-place Golden State Warriors and 12 games ahead of the fourth-place Utah Jazz.
Unless something drastic happens, the Suns will end the season on top. In addition, the Warriors will probably be sitting pretty at number two. That’s not the case in the East, where things have been fluctuating often. The fight for the number one seed is ongoing and only getting hotter.
The Heat are currently number one with a 38-21 record. That happens to be the exact same record of the number two team, the Chicago Bulls. Behind them are the Philadelphia 76ers, who have recently surged to a 35-23 record, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers (also 35-23), the Milwaukee Bucks (36-24), and the Boston Celtics (34-26).
The fluidity of the Eastern Conference is incredibly exciting and shows that anything can change in the weeks ahead. Unlike the Suns in the West, the Heat haven’t been at the top of the standings for too long, and their fortunes may be altered quickly. A new potential number one seed is always nipping at their heels.
There are still so many variables in the Eastern Conference that can shake it up. What happens if James Harden in Philadelphia takes that team to a whole new level? What if Giannis and his Bucks find their footing again and surge?
And what about the Brookly Nets? Currently an afterthought, the Nets are waiting for Kevin Durant to return. If he comes back in prime form, he could enhance the team’s changes almost immediately. Plus, what happens when Ben Simmons starts playing for the Nets? And what if the NBA changes its policy and allows Kyrie Irving to play at home?
All of these questions are set to make the East more dramatic and exciting than it has been in ages. The answer to each could have a profound impact on the standings going into the playoffs. With each team having such a small margin for error, the top of the East will continue to twist and change in the weeks ahead.
The Western Conference has found its rhythm and is sticking to the same story with the same main characters and themes. As for the East, it’s become wilder than the West ever was.