The Eastern Conference is an absolute bloodbath

MassLive

As All-Star Weekend is upon us, the season is a little more than halfway over - and the Eastern Conference is completely up for grabs. And with analysts hyping up Miami and Chicago, let’s keep it 100 - all of these teams are the same. 

The Chicago Bulls sit at the top of the conference at 38-21, tied with the Miami Heat. They have shaken up the basketball world with what they have been able to accomplish to this point. DeMar DeRozan is back on the All-Star team and getting a reboot in his career. Zach LaVine finally getting his help (and praise). Lonzo Ball found his fit. But injuries have been holding this team back, hindering them from finding their identity. And honestly, that goes for every team. 

Look at the Boston Celtics. They were once under-.500, and now they’re sixth in the Eastern Conference after a nine-game winning streak. Truthfully, the only reason for that is because they were healthy. But with Marcus Smart (ankle) and Robert Williams (calf) out, C’s lost to the terrible Detroit Pistons. The pattern is clear - injuries have been playing a major factor to this point of the season. 

We can’t forget the defending champs in the Milwaukee Bucks. They sit at the third spot in the conference and they aren’t panicking. As a matter of fact, they’re exactly where they want to be. But we still haven’t seen their best basketball. (Again, in part due to injuries.)

Then there are teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. Both teams haven’t quite gotten it together as a unit, but have been appearing in the headlines religiously. Now, with the trade finally done and two stars on different teams, both clubs have a lot to get done before the postseason. (That’s IF the Nets make it.)

Joel Embiid has been playing at an MVP level, but how long can he keep it up? Whether he and James Harden be able to mesh in the little time they have is up for question, too. Or will it just be as simple as Harden either drawing a foul driving to the cup or throwing an alley-oop to Embiid? Either way, the hype is there, but fans have yet to see if it’s going to work.

As for the Brooklyn Nets… Bruce Brown is looking like the best player on the court at times. Blake Griffin is way past his prime. Kevin Durant is still recovering from injury. Ben Simmons can’t shoot. Joe Harris’ return is in question. And Kyrie Irving is still a part-time NBA player. 

The Eastern Conference is a mess, but that’s what makes things so exciting. Nobody expected Cleveland to make the noise they’ve been making. The same goes for the Toronto Raptors. The Charlotte Hornets are exciting and a fan favorite - I wouldn’t be surprised if they stole a playoff birth in the play-in round. You can never sleep on the Atlanta Hawks, either. 

Nonetheless, the team that can get fully healthy first will likely get the top spot and most likely will win the conference, too. With about 20 games left in the season, all teams are at the same point internally - trying to fight off injuries and form somewhat of an identity.