For years, decades even, the Eastern Conference has been regarded as the West’s little brother. Sure, the occasional super power would emerge—LeBron James’s Heat, James’s Cavaliers, the 2023–24 Celtics—but for the most part the Western Conference operated as the varsity, with the East the JV.
That opinion has likely never been stronger than before this season. The demise of Boston—for now, anyway—and the season-ending injury to Tyrese Haliburton has taken the last two conference reps off the board. What’s left are a couple of unproven contenders (Cleveland, Orlando), a conference finalist with a new coach (New York) and a handful of teams with major questions.
