Almost from the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, it was evident that the league’s Eastern Conference — often mocked as the “leastern” conference — was not shaping up to be the usual soft-in-the-middle and below conference it has often been for some time. A bevy of moves created something of a talent arms race in the conference that has since paid off in a number of surprisingly competitive franchises entering the fray for the 2022 NBA title this season.
But which one is currently the best as the East playoffs start to tighten up in the second round? The Miami Heat who finished the season in the top spot of the conference standings? The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks? Or the defensive menace hailing from the state of Massachusetts, the Boston Celtics?
The hosts of ESPN’s “First Take” debate the top team in a revamped East in a recent show with guests Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles; check out the clip embedded above to hear their takes!
