NBA Eastern Conference Much Stronger As Postseason Approaches

Last season the NBA Eastern Conference with the exception of the Cleveland Cavaliers played in the shadow of the Western Conference. This season, things have not changed entirely, but the East is headed in the right direction.

This season the top teams all season in the East have been Cleveland and the Toronto Raptors. However, the second tier of the conference including the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets have picked up their game this season.

Since the start of 2016, Atlanta has the best scoring defense in the NBA and their magic number to clinch a postseason berth now sits at 2.

However, Atlanta would like to move up in the playoff standings. If the season were to end today, the Hawks would face a tough Charlotte team in the opening rounds. However, they sit in third spot and catching Toronto could be a difficult proposition.

Boston sits in fourth place, but just a half game behind the Hawks having played one less game than Atlanta.

Tucked in fifth place just a half game behind the Celtics is the Miami Heat.

Between Boston, Miami, Atlanta and Charlotte, Cleveland and Toronto could find the going tough when it comes to the start of the postseason.

Miami for example has won two out of three this season against the Cavaliers and could be playing Cleveland during the second round.

If Chris Bosh is able to return for the postseason, Miami would have as much talent as any other Eastern Conference opponent the Cavs could play added to years of experience playing with and now against LeBron James.

Both Charlotte and Atlanta will get previews of what their potential hookup with Toronto would be in round two. Atlanta has lost both its head-to-head games with Toronto this season, but will play them twice more over its final 8 games of the season.

Charlotte is 1-1 this season with Toronto and the two met on April 5.

While Boston’s combined record of 2-5 against the royalty of the East is not that encouraging, neither of the two top seeds can afford overlooking the attacking talents of Isaiah Thomas and the frenetic defense the Celtics have.

The Western Conference may have the defending NBA champions in the Golden State Warriors along with talent-laden teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunders, but the Eastern Conference will have a more compelling playoffs before the NBA Finals.