The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons will keep the East interesting all season long
When the Boston Celtics were on their winning streak, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were struggling, a lot of people were starting to think the Celtics would run away with the conference. The Celtics have not lost too much ground, but the Cavaliers are now the ones streaking, and LeBron James might be putting together his best regular season yet.
The Cavaliers are gunning for that top seed, and the Celtics want to do everything to get that home court advantage. There’s also the Detroit Pistons, who are playing like a team that can keep up with anyone, at least for the regular season.
A lot of people expected the East to be far too weak this season, but these three teams are going ensure that the race is interesting all season long.
Keep in mind, we are also around a month away from the most interesting part of the Eastern Conference coming back, because Isaiah Thomas adds so much to the race between these teams. It is quite fascinating that the two teams the Celtics will be fighting with all season in the East, have the two most beloved players that were lost last season in Thomas and Avery Bradley.
More from Hardwood Houdini
- Boston Celtics’ two-way contract decision will be made after training camp
- Proposed trade sends Boston Celtics playoff killer to the Cs from rival
- ‘Face of Germany’s stunning run’ in FIBA World Cup not the only ex-Boston Celtics player to win gold
- Proposed Boston Celtics trade target pitched for reunion with fired coach
- Battle For Banner 18: Will Boston Celtics battle historical foe in 2024 Finals?
The East is quickly becoming as fascinating as the West right now, and the Celtics are going to be in the middle of everything. The MVP race even connects these teams. James Harden could run away with it, but both James and Kyrie Irving are being brought up in most conversations.
The Eastern Conference has not had a true rivalry since the last time the Celtics took down James, and this year may finally be the beginning of something special. You can add on the 76ers in a few years, but for now the Celtics Cavaliers rivalry could be brought back to life this season.
The Celtics have the advantage right now, but we cannot expect them to go on another run like they did to start the season. Even if they improve as a team, there was a special magic going on to make sure they kept winning those games, and it would be madness to see them capture that again.
Once the Cavaliers get Thomas back, they could start winning even more games. The Celtics have that 3.5 game lead and it will be hard to make that up with the way they have been winning this season, but it would not be a stretch to say Thomas alone makes that difference.
The Pistons are also 3.5 half games back, but it will be even harder for them to catch up. The edge the Pistons have right now is consistency. The Cavaliers and Celtics have been up and down a lot, while the Pistons are steadily plowing through, and keeping themselves within reach.
Next: Celtics get first calm of season
You also have some others that could make a surprise run. The Raptors have a chance to fight for that home court, and right now the 76ers are not even out of reach. The Celtics and the Cavaliers are the overwhelming favorites right now, but we are already getting a much better Eastern Conference race than anyone expected coming into the season.